The Dark Magician's Trap
by Kender20
Summary: AU Princess Nimea and her sister, Anzu, are brave and bold. But when Dartz uses his brainwashed magician to capture one of the princesses, the kingdom is threatened-- and only a set of royal twins and their friends can stop him! Better than it sounds.
1. Chapter 1

Note: Hey Peeps! While I'm thinking up some plots to overcome the case of writer's block on Blue Eyes White Mermaid, I have decided to write another story in hopes that it would stimulate my brain. This story is somewhat based on a story called, "The Magican's Trap" by an author named Eileen Piper, and I've decided to add my own little twist and turns, like and Ancient Egyptian kind of setting. This is especially for both Yugi/Anzu fans AND Atem/Anzu fans, because Nimea (the one I'd like to call Yami Anzu) will be making her appearance in her first chapter story. So anyway, enjoy the first chapter of my new story.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I do not own "The Magician's Trap" either. And you know what? I'M GLAD I DON'T!

**The Dark Magician's Trap**

Chapter 1: The Blind Prince

In the land of obelisks and pyramids, there was a certain pharaoh by the name of Setna. He had a magnificent kingdom that stretched from the desert to the delta where the river poured into the nearby sea. From within, farms prospered where the river flooded, and from upon the river and the seashores beyond, the fishermen happily gave praise to their gods as they brought in fish by the boatloads.

There is reason for this happiness. Pharaoh Setna was very wise, and known for his kindness. So it's no wonder that the gods themselves blessed him with two lovely daughters, both of which are his pride and joy. These two princesses were famous in their own right, for they were as bold as they were beautiful. Let one princess hear of a land that has yet to be explored and she will be off to see it. Let the other hear of a fierce and menacing beast that no one has the courage to capture, or of a treasure that no one could find, and she would not rest until she has dragged it home. Ah, yes. What stories they made.

But Pharaoh Setna was not entirely happy. He had just one sorrow… neither daughter has yet to find a husband. His firstborn, Princess Nimea, otherwise known as "The Daring Huntress", was especially picky when it comes to finding her true love. Specifically, her special someone not only must have a kind heart, he must also be just as daring as she is. And so far, most men have no such luck in matching her boldness. As for Nimea's little sister… well, she said she'll find love in her travels. As fate would have it, her latest destination was closer to an uncharted part of the desert. It is in this desert area that another kingdom peacefully rests, ruled by another wise pharaoh. And it is in that kingdom where our story begins…

* * *

The sun was overhead, and not a single cloud was in the sky. Upon the desert sands, two young men were growing weary. One had dirty blonde hair, and had an arrangement that could only be described as messy, and he wore an Egyptian style loincloth held up by an elegant belt. His hazel brown eyes gazed ahead of what seemed like endless dunes of golden sand. "Water…water…" he wailed, "I gotta have water!" Just when he took another step, he collapsed on his knees. "Augh, Honda, how long have we been in this desert?"

"I've already lost count since we came here Jonouchi!" The other young man, Honda, managed to croak out. He had brown hair that was shaped like a unicorn's horn at the front and his own eyes were more of a hazel color. An Egyptian-styled tunic covered his body, and the belt around his waist was simpler in design. He let out a sigh, and wiped some sweat off his brow. "It's so hot… we're out of water, and there's not an oasis in sight…"

The blonde, Jonouchi, started crying waterfall tears. "I've never felt so thirsty in my life! And I'm starving too!" and with a sniffle, he bawled out, "We're so far away from home… at this rate, we're both gonna die out in the desert!"

"We… better not… give up… just yet." Honda gasped out, "We gotta… keep going!" And soon, Honda started walking again.

Jonouchi slowly stood up, and walked behind his friend. They had barely gone another half mile when Jonouchi looked to the side of his shoulder. His eyes widened. "Hey, Honda!" he shouted, pointing to what he was seeing, "Look!" And Honda did look. There, right in front of them, was a large palace, decorated with fantastic wall paintings depicting the desert gods.

"Whoa…" Honda said, gawking, "This… this isn't a mirage, is it?"

"Guess there's only one way to find out." Jonouchi said. The two of them stepped toward the palace, and as they did, they could see for sure that it was becoming less and less like a mirage. Finally, they were close enough to confirm, to their joy, that the palace was real. That was when they noticed yet another fact as they collapsed on the ground: they're not alone. For close by, there was another young man, trying his very best to string a longbow. The two friends could tell that he was someone of high status, for he was dressed in an Egyptian style tunic that is a bright white, with a golden belt across his waist. He had golden bracelets and golden arm circlets worn on his upper arms close to his shoulders. Gold bands even decorated his lower legs and soft leather sandals adorned his feet. A long violet cloak draped over his shoulders, held in place by a large golden semi-circle shaped necklace. A pair of elaborate gold earrings hung from the lobes of his ears, and a simple circlet decorated with an eye in the center was worn upon his forehead. But it's not just the rich clothes that got their attention. The young man himself had a thin build, but by the look of how he was pulling the bow to string it, he was not as frail as he looks. His spiky hair was black and lined with crimson at the top, while his lightning shaped bangs were a golden color. As for his eyes, they were also a bright shade of crimson, seemingly wide with a hint of innocence. As Jonouchi and Honda watched, the young man finally put the string in its place on the bow. He smiled with pride, and was about to go back inside with the bow when he saw the two weary travelers before him. His eyes widened in astonishment and he quickly turned his head toward the entrance.

"Father!" he called out in a smooth tenor voice, "Father, come quick!"

"What is it Yugi?" asked another voice coming from the door, and an old dignified man, dressed in red and white robes, came out with two guards following behind him. Jonouchi and Honda looked at each other, and grew a bit worried. Are they going to be arrested? The old man looked at the two before them and his own eyes widened. He stepped forward to get a closer look and saw that they were indeed drenched in sweat from being under the desert sun for too long, and nearly malnourished. "Guards! Go and fetch some water, and quickly!" the old man ordered. The guards, seeing the condition of the lost travelers, rushed in immediately, and when they came back, they brought servants carrying large jugs of cold, life giving water.

"We're saved!" Jonouchi wearily rejoiced, and started drinking from one of the jugs right away.

The young man, Yugi, took another jug and brought it over to Honda. "Here you go." he said with a smile, "You guys must have been through a lot."

"Gee, thanks man!" Honda said as he took the jug and consumed its contents. The old man smiled.

"Ease yourselves, young travelers. For in the desert the sun shows no mercy. Come inside the palace where there is shade. We will even provide you each a room to spend the night if you like." He said, "Oh, but I ramble. I am Pharaoh Akunumkanon." Placing a hand on Yugi's shoulders he then said, "This young man here is my son, Yugi."

Jonouchi was truly astonished at what he heard, even as he finished gulping down some water. "Pharaoh? And a prince? Wow! I-I never met a royal family before! This is an honor! My name is Jonouchi."

Honda was equally in awe, and he paused from his drinking to bow down, "I-I'm Honda." He managed to say with a smile. "Thank you so much for your kindness!"

Yugi gave a small bow in return and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to our kingdom!" And so, the two lost travelers, their strength renewing, gladly stepped into the palace with the Prince and his father.

* * *

As it so happened, dinner was in the process of preparation, so Prince Yugi agreed to give his two guests a tour to the palace. "Come this way," Yugi said, "Since the palace is huge, newcomers are bound to get lost, so it's best if you stay by me."

"Uh, sure thing, Your Highness." Jonouchi said, trying his very best to be polite.

"Please, call me Yugi." The Prince replied with a friendly chuckle, "Royal titles are a bit too formal for my taste."

"Okay, Yugi." Jonouchi replied. "Lead the way." And so the tour began. The three men walked through the long hallway, with Yugi pointing out certain areas like the dining hall where they will eat, the living quarters of the High Priests, even the room where you could take a bath. Jonouchi and Honda were in awe of the sights of the palace. Everywhere they looked, there were towering pillars, and the wall paintings were nothing more than breathtaking. Finally, they stopped at a very large room leading outside.

"This is the game room." Yugi said with a sense of pride, "It's one of my favorite places. Here, you can play sports, board games, you name it!"

"Whoa!" Honda said, "This place is huge!"

"There must have been a ton of games you can play out there!" Jonouchi said.

Yugi just smiled. "Go ahead guys! Feel free to test you skills!"

"Really?" Jonouchi said in excitement. "Are you sure?"

"Yep!" Yugi said, "Knock yourselves off!"

"All right!" Jonouchi and Honda both exclaimed, and they both eagerly rushed into the game room. Immediately, they took out some sticks and started hitting a ball back and forth in a mock game of ground hockey. And boy, they were having a great time. Suddenly, Jonouchi struck the ball really hard, and it flew right passed Honda and fell behind a large dividing wall.

"I'll get it!" Jonouchi said and he rushed toward the wall. Nimbly, he went through the narrow opening and went over to retrieve the ball. He had just picked it up when he saw a seemingly familiar figure ahead of him. He was lying with his back against the wall, his head lowered and eyes closed in slumber. "Huh?" Jonouchi said in confusion, "Yugi? How'd you manage to get over here?"

"What are you talking about Jonouchi? I'm right over here!" Yugi said as he came up from behind the blonde, with Honda close by. Jonouchi jerked in surprise when he looked behind him.

"Gyaa! Yugi, you scared me!" he said, but then his eyes grew more wide, "W-wait a minute! If you're Yugi, who's that guy over there?"

Both Yugi and Honda looked in the direction where the blonde was pointing. When he saw the sleeping figure before him, Honda gasped in astonishment. "Dude! Y-Yugi… that young man over there… he looks exactly like you!" The Prince stared blankly at first, but then he started to chuckle.

"Of course he looks like me! He's my older brother!"

"Wha--older brother?" Jonouchi said in shock, "But, but that must mean you're twins, right?"

"That's right!" Yugi said happily.

"Egad," said Honda in amazement, "The Pharaoh never said anything about having another son!"

"You didn't ask." Yugi simply replied, "In any case, would you like to meet him?"

"S-sure. It would be a honor." Jonouchi said, calming down a bit. Honda, on the other hand, simply nodded in agreement.

"Okay, stay right here. I'm gonna go wake him up." Yugi said as he walked toward his brother. It was at that moment that the two travelers got a closer look at the young man who was Yugi's twin brother. The resemblance to Yugi was remarkable, but they could now see the subtle differences. Although he also had a thin build, the young man had slightly more muscle, as evidenced in his arms and legs. Like his younger brother, he had spiky hair that was black and rimmed with a rich crimson at the top, and lightning shaped bangs of shining bright gold. What set him apart was that some of those bangs literally stood on end, streaking his hair overall. His features were slightly more sharper, including his closed eyes, making him seem like a more intense, mature version of Yugi. And although he wore clothes similar to that of his brother, his crown had a pair of stylized wings on the sides, and an upside down golden pyramid hung from around his neck like a pendant. Yugi slowly and quietly made his approach, wanting to make sure that there are no rude awakenings. Once right in front of his brother, he bent down on one knee. "Atem?" he whispered, as he reached out just as slowly to touch the young man's chin. "Atem?" The Prince gently lifted his brother's chin so that they were face to face. It was then that the young man's eyes slowly began to open. The irises were a deep crimson just like his brother's, but as Jonouchi and Honda took notice, there was something amiss. Where is the shine?

The young man, Atem, blinked once before he straightened up. "Oh, hello Yugi." He said in a rich baritone voice before he stretched and let out a yawn.

"Sorry if I disturbed your nap." Yugi said, standing up as he did so.

"No, that's all right." Atem replied, "You woke me at the right moment."

"Well, in any case, we've got some unexpected guests in the palace today." Yugi said as Atem rose to his feet.

"Guests, you say?" Atem questioned, growing interested.

"Yeah," Yugi said, "Father and I met up with some travelers who got lost in the desert. It's their first time here, and they're staying with us for a while."

"Ah, so they're newcomers!" Atem mused with a smirk. "Where are they at the moment? I would like to meet those travelers."

"I thought you'd never ask." Yugi replied cheerfully, "They're right in front of us, so let me guide you to them. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all." Atem said. Taking hold of his twin's hand, Yugi once again stepped forward to the blonde and his friend. As Atem came closer, Jonouchi and Honda could see his eyes more clearly. The pupils of both eyes were more gray than black, and the crimson irises were dark and dull, barely visible under swirls of… white. Come to think of it, both of Atem's eyes were completely covered with a milky white veil.

"Jonouchi, Honda," Yugi said, "this is my brother, Atem."

Jonouchi, feeling the brush of greatness before him, was genuinely nervous, but nevertheless, he gave a small polite bow and stuttered, "Oh, uh, i-i-it's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I'm Jonouchi."

"The pleasure is mine, Jonouchi." Atem replied with a smile. "And please, you can call me by my name if you want. Like Yugi, I consider royal titles too formal for my taste."

"All right Your Highne—I mean, Atem. My name is Honda, by the way." Honda said with a smile, but then within a slight pause, it faded into a look of concern, "I don't want to be disrespectful to you, but… what's up with your eyes?"

It was then that Atem's own smile faded, briefly showing a tinge of sorrow and… is it… shame? "So you've noticed my condition." He said. Jonouchi became concerned as well. Atem lifted his head, and continued, "Every day of my life, I hear the sounds of songbirds, musicians, and the voices of loved ones. I feel the warmth of the sun, and the chill of the night. Here in the palace, the air is filled with the scent of lotus blossoms, and as I consume the fresh figs and the juices of grapes from the vineyard, I savor their taste." There was a pause, before he let out a sigh. "But alas, all I ever see is a thick, black sheet of darkness… and nothing more."

Jonouchi and Honda gasped, finally figuring out what was wrong. "You're blind…!" Jonouchi said in a hushed tone.

"Yes Jonouchi, I am blind." Atem said, "I've been this way ever since I was born."

"That's awful." Jonouchi said, and he stepped closer, "I understand exactly what you're going through. I have a younger sister, and she almost went blind herself. So you're not alone, Atem." This made Atem smile again.

"But wait a sec." Honda said to the blonde, "Atem and Yugi are twins. How come Yugi isn't blind as well?"

Luckily Yugi stepped forward. "Well, the reason for Atem's blindness is rather complicated. Father can explain when dinner starts." Now the two travelers are curious. What exactly was the reason that only Atem was born blind? The answer would have to wait, for Atem spoke up again.

"In the meantime, do you mind if I touch your face? It's nothing too personal, I just wanted to know what you look like."

"N-no, I don't mind at all." Jonouchi replied, and immediately he closed his eyes. Atem reached out his hand, and soon his fingers began to guide it over the surface of the blonde's handsome facial features. Jonouchi did his very best to stay still so the older Prince's hand could feel every detail without difficulty. Once Atem started feeling Jonouchi's hair, the latter opened his eyes again, just in time to see the former beginning to smirk in satisfaction before he withdrew his hand.

"All right Honda, it's your turn." Atem said. Honda quietly stepped forward, and again, Atem reached out. His fingers nimbly navigated the surface of Honda's face, and even felt the unicorn point of Honda's hair upon the forehead. Once he was finished, Atem once again withdrew in satisfaction.

"So… do you like what you, uuuh, feel?" Honda asked.

"No doubt you two will attract some ladies." Atem teased playfully, earning a blush from both men.

"I guess we'll take that as a yes." Jonouchi muttered with a sheepish grin.

"Your Highnesses," called out a voice which belonged to a female servant, "The food is ready!"

"Thank you." Yugi responded, "We'll be right over." Then he turned to the duo. "C'mon you guys, lets get you something to eat."

"Yeah!" rejoiced Jonouchi and Honda, and together with Yugi, they rushed forward to the dining room. Atem smiled, and quickly followed them, without any need of a walking stick.

Note: Hmmm, it seems like Atem has a kind of sixth sense to help make up for his lost sight... So how did he wind up blind at birth? The answer lies in the next chapter of this story. Until next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Note: It took some good thought, but I managed to write up the next chapter! Now the time has come to learn the source of Atem's blindness, and the special gifts that help to make up for it! So, without further ado, Enjoy!

Chapter 2: The Curse that Haunts Him

"Whoa! Look at all the food! It's like a banquet!" Honda gasped in amazement.

"I got dibs on the beef!" Jonouchi said excitedly, almost drooling at the sight of all this wonderful food on the table.

"Now, now, you boys take your time." said Pharaoh Akunumkanon, "There's plenty for everyone." And with that, the two travelers did not hesitate to start wolfing down some of the food. After all, they had been out in the desert for who knows how long without any food or water. Prince Atem and Prince Yugi just chuckled before they started eating their meal. Dinnertime had just begun, and already Jonouchi finished his plate. Just as he was about to ask for seconds, however, he remembered the one question that continued to nag at his mind. He quickly drank from his cup, and then, nervously, he turned his head toward Akunumkanon.

"Your Majesty?" Jonouchi said, "Can I please talk to you about something?"

"Go right ahead." Akunumkanon said with a smile.

"Well, if you're planning to introduce Atem to us, you don't have to worry. We already met up with him during the tour."

"So I've heard." Akunumkanon replied, "Considering that the game room was part of that tour, a meeting with Yugi's twin brother is inevitable."

Honda spoke up at that moment, saying, "I didn't expect that Yugi even had a twin brother, so it really took us by surprise."

"But that's where this other revelation came in." Jonouchi added, "Atem was born blind, while Yugi was not. And Yugi said that the reason behind it was rather complicated. So… what exactly happened that made Atem blind at birth?" Upon hearing this question, the old Pharaoh grew sad, slowly setting down the ceramic goblet that contained the wine.

"D-did we say something to offend you, sir?" Honda asked worriedly.

"No." Akunumkanon sighed, "Not at all. I am more than willing to tell you of the plight that befell my eldest son. It's all right with you, isn't it Atem?" Atem lifted his head in the direction of his father's voice.

"Of course, Father!" he said, "It would help to ease your sorrow."

Akunumkanon stared at the clay goblet, the sadness within his eyes, and soon he began his story. "Everyone in this kingdom says that I am a wise and just man" he explained, "And I confirm it in more ways than one. However, that wasn't always the case. There was a time, a long time ago, when I was rude, selfish, and arrogant. I was a young man back then, just about your age in fact, and I was just as handsome back then as I am now. I often took great pride in my apparent perfection, and my ego grew swollen. Then, one day, I became so absorbed in my arrogance that I made the most terrible mistake in my entire life. It happened two years after I became the pharaoh, and since I have no sisters in my family, I had gone forth in search of the perfect wife…"

**Young Akunumkanon rode forth in his chariot, following the flowing river. At first, there was no sign of civilization in sight. Finally, though, he saw the stone buildings of a small town ahead of him. He got off his chariot, and he was just about to enter the town when a voice called out to him.**

"**Good day, sir." It was feminine, but it was cracked, and it made Akunumkanon grimace. He quickly turned around to see an old woman, hunchbacked, and horribly ugly. "I see you've just arrived. It must have been a long trip."**

**"Well I don't intend to come here for nothing." The young Akunumkanon spat, "Step aside, lady. I'm on a personal mission." To his annoyance, the old woman started to follow him, unfazed by his remark.**

"**Oh, a mission, huh?" she said, "Then perhaps this is your chance to fulfill it!" Before he could react, the old woman took hold of him with a filthy hand and dragged him in another direction.**

"**W-where are you taking me!" he shouted, "How dare you touch me in such a manner! Don't you know who I am!" The old woman continued to pull him, until finally they reached the alleyway. Everywhere he looked, there were people in the streets, begging for alms. They had filth on their faces, in their hair, and on what little clothes they had. Some of them lay on the ground, overcome with illness. Children were crying out of starvation, and some don't even have parents. "What is the meaning of this?" Akunumkanon barked in disgust, "Why bring me to a place infested with these—these rats?"**

"**These poor souls lack all the things that people like you take for granted." The old woman calmly replied, "You must have some money on you, don't you? Maybe some food perhaps? Go ahead and give some of it to these unfortunates. They would be eternally grateful to you."**

"**This is an outrage!" Akunumkanon barked, "I came here to get a wife, not offer my wealth to some pieces of street filth!"**

**"A wife?" the old woman asked, "Oh, so you're a bachelor eh? Why didn't you say so! In that case, take a look over there." Akunumkanon turned to where the woman was pointing, and saw a maiden kneeling in the corner. Her long filthy hair was matted and tangled, and dirt covered her otherwise lovely face. She was clad only in a sheet of linen, which was tattered and torn in certain places. She looked at the young Pharaoh before her, and her sparkling eyes shone with love. "This child's family had fallen into very hard times a long time ago, and even now she's giving up all her time to help them survive. Oh such a wonderful, selfless girl she is. Perhaps you would like to get to know her better, for I'm certain she'll make a wonderful bride for you." Akunumkanon stared at the maiden, but due to his extremely swollen arrogance, he did not see her true beauty at all. He only saw her as a disgusting urchin, a mockery of a goddess. He stepped forward to the girl, who gave him a sweet smile… But before anyone could react, her smile was quickly wiped off her face, as Akunumkanon grabbed her by her hair, forcefully lifted her to her feet and shoved her into the wall. Then he punched her straight in her face, marring it horribly with blood and broken bones. The others stared at him in fear, as he bellowed out, "Don't you even know who you are talking to? I am the Pharaoh! I will not wallow in the mud like pigs with these filthy rats! And I want a true goddess for a wife, not some sorry imitation!"**

"**Please, sir," cried the old woman, "have a heart!"**

"**I've heard enough of your talk of nonsense!" Akunumkanon roared, and he shoved the old woman away. "Get out of my sight!" He didn't even bother to listen to the maiden's heartbroken cries or turn back to see that the old woman was lying on the ground, with no sign of movement. Nor did he stay to notice an otherworldly gleam in her eyes as she lifted her head.**

"After cleaning myself of the so-called filth of the streets, I went on with my search. Finally, before the day was over, I met another lovely young maiden. She was the daughter of a rich nobleman, and before long, we fell in love with each other. Eventually we married each other, and what a happy day it was. A year later, I discovered that my queen, to our joy, had conceived a child. By that time, I had almost forgotten the incident. But merely four days before she gave birth, it all came back to haunt me…"

**It was the middle of the night, and Akunumkanon was fast asleep. He was dreaming, in fact. In the dream, he was alone, surrounded by darkness. "What is this place?" he asked no one in particular. Then suddenly, he sensed movement. He turned quickly in the direction of the source, which turned out to be right behind him. At first, there was nothing, but then a figure began to emerge from the darkness. Akunumkanon recoiled in shock, for it was the ugly old hunchbacked woman, the one person he never wanted to see again! "You! I thought I told you to get out of my sight!" he roared in anger. **

"**Akunumkanon, I am ashamed of you!" the old woman hissed in an anger just as intense, taking him by surprise.**

"**Wha—How did you know my name?" he roared.**

"**Have you any **_**idea**_** who you are insulting?" the old woman growled, and as she spoke, her voice became less cracked and much more melodious, its beauty unearthly, "Have you any idea **_**exactly**_** what you have done?" And with those words, her back became straight, and the visage of ugliness melted away to reveal astonishing beauty. She was clad in a gorgeous white dress in the style of Ancient Egypt, and she was adorned with jewelry inlaid with precious gems. A brilliant crown rested upon her head, giving the impression that she was a queen. But as she seemed to glow with a brilliant light, it became more than clear that she was not a mere mortal. Anger gave way to awe as Akunumkanon realized that he was in the presence of one of the greatest desert goddesses. And when he saw the anger that was upon her face, that awe soon became horror as he finally realized exactly what he had done. Had he really been that cruel? "I have given you a chance to do good," the angry goddess said accusingly, as if reading his mind, "but where you would have shown kindness to these poor souls, you instead struck them down like they were flies! Where you would have shared your blessings with the needy, you instead held them back like a miser! Where you would have seen the beauty of unconditional love within the eyes of that maiden in poverty and shown her love in return, you instead shunned her simply because of her appearance and condition, even going as far as to bring her great harm! Can you imagine how traumatized she was when you struck her like that?" Akunumkanon was truly horrified, not only by the goddess' wrath but also of the very crime he himself had committed. He fell to his knees, tears flowing down his eyes.**

"**Oh, Blessed Mother!" he cried, almost choking on his terrified sobs, "I have let my arrogance blind me, and thus I have done wrong in your presence! Please! Forgive me!"**

**The goddess pointed her finger at the Pharaoh and hollered, "Even if I were to heed your pleas for mercy, you will still be punished for your transgression! So I lay this curse upon your firstborn son: Just as you have been blind to the true beauty of unconditional love, so too shall your firstborn be blind—but to all the world around him! Let it be, from the very day of his birth, that his eyes shall see nothing but black darkness! By my decree, it is so!" Akunumkanon was speechless with horror like no other, and he could only watch as the goddess left him. That was when he woke up, covered with sweat and almost hyperventilating. As his breath began to slow, he thought, It was… it was all just a dream! But… why did it feel so real?**

"The night after that, my queen was also visited with a terrible nightmare. She dreamt of two scorpions scuttling upon her swollen stomach. Before she could react, they buried themselves deep into the middle of her stomach and entered her womb. Then she gained a view of her womb from the inside and she saw a pair of twin baby boys, each one curled up in a little ball. The scorpions in her dream approached one of them, and imagine her horror when they forced open his eyes on each side, and then thrust their stingers upon them! It was then that my queen awoke with a scream that could be heard throughout the entire kingdom. Two days passed after that, and finally the day came for my children to be born…"

**From behind the curtain leading to the bedroom, Akunumkanon heard the loud cries of his queen, who had gone into labor. The midwife and her two assistants were with her. "I see the head!" the midwife told the queen, "It's almost out, Your Majesty!" There was a bit of a pause, before the midwife finally said, "All right, give one more push!" And she pushed hard, until at last, the wails of a tiny newborn baby could be heard. "It's a boy!" the midwife announced. An assistant cut the umbilical cord, and went over to a small basin to wash him clean. Just when the baby was ready to be wrapped in a blanket, the queen let out another scream of pain, much to Akunumkanon's surprise. What happened next surprised him even more.**

"**Oh my! There's another baby coming! She's having twins!" one assistant gasped. The midwife saw what was happening and rushed forward.**

"**Go ahead and give the first one to the Pharaoh." She instructed. Soon, the young assistant went out of the royal bedroom, holding the little bundle with tri-colored hair. Akunumkanon couldn't help but gasp in wonder.**

"**Congratulations Pharaoh Akunumkanon." The assistant said, "I suppose you already heard the unexpected news, but you're about to become the father of twins!" Then she gently held out the child for the pharaoh to hold, saying, "Here's the firstborn." Carefully, Akunumkanon reached out and took the baby boy into his arms. The baby's eyes were closed in slumber, and the Pharaoh's joy knew no bounds.**

**He kissed his son on the forehead and said, "Welcome my son. I will name you… Atem." The baby snuggled his father, as if accepting the name that was given to him.**

**About a few minutes later, Atem's twin was born. It was also a boy, and he almost looked just like his older brother. After a moment of rest for the mother, the child was given the name Yugi. The queen beckoned her husband to come inside the bedroom, bringing the baby Prince Atem with him. "Beloved," the queen said when the Pharaoh made his entrance, "come sit by me." Akunumkanon did exactly that, and he gave Atem to the queen for her to hold. She looked at the two tiny infants in her arms and she smiled. "Can you believe this?" said the queen, "We are the parents of twin princes! What did you name the firstborn?"**

"**I named him Atem." The Pharaoh replied.**

"**Atem…" she mused, "He would make such a wonderful pharaoh someday." It was then that Atem started to stir from his slumber, and the eyelids began to move. The queen let out an excited gasp. "Look! Atem is opening his eyes for us!" The parents looked upon their child with great anticipation. Slowly, baby's eyes opened up for the first time in his very life. But when the parents looked at their baby's eyes, their smiles disappeared almost instantly. Their own eyes widened in a horrified sort of shock, and an eerie silence filled the entire room. Finally, however, the queen let out a scream of anguish. Akunumkanon began to shed tears of sorrow in turn, for he now knew that what he saw in his dream was real, that the meeting of the goddess was real, and that the curse she spoke of was just as real.**

**Baby Atem's eyes were completely covered in a milky-white veil, and that could only mean one thing: The firstborn of the twins was blind. Literally blind.**

"So Atem's blindness… was the result… of a curse?" Jonouchi asked, in shock over what had happened.

"Yes." Akunumkanon said sadly, "My beloved queen was so overcome with heartbreak that she refused to move or eat. She died a year later." Yugi started to cry at this moment, and Atem reached out to comfort him, although he was on the verge of tears himself. For him, there seems to be a strong sense of guilt. "At first, I was angry at Atem for causing such misery to my family. But then I realized… this misfortune was of my own doing. I was the one who attacked the poor in my arrogant rage, and he was the one who was being punished for it. I do not want to be the cause of any more suffering. So I took part in actively raising him as well as his younger brother. These boys inspired me in more ways than one, and from them, I learned of kindness and respect."

"That's one incredible story." Honda said, "How did the twins manage to cope with this?"

"It's through our bond that we were able to make it through those difficult years. I, of course, proved to be a remarkable young man." answered Atem.

Akunumkanon smiled, and said, "Initially, I thought of stripping Atem of his inheritance and make Yugi the new pharaoh, for in this kingdom, a blind prince is often considered unfit to be a pharaoh. Yet Atem insists that he wears the regalia that is the mark of the Crown Prince."

"Not only that, but **I** insist upon that as well." Yugi said after calming down a bit, "I don't think I have what it takes, and I want Atem to become the next king, in spite of his blindness."

"And Atem wasn't joking when he said that he's a remarkable young man." Akunumkanon continued, "As it turns out, Atem has some incredible gifts to make up for his blindness. No doubt he puts those gifts to good use, for he was the most daring young man ever known in the entire kingdom." The two travelers stared in amazement, unable to believe what they just heard. How is it possible that a blind man could be the most daring man in the whole kingdom? Did it have anything to do with those gifts the Pharaoh mentioned? What are they anyway?

As if he had read their mind, Yugi spoke up, "Let me show you some of the things that my brother can do. You'll be surprised by what you see." Then he pointed to a bowl full of fruits and said, "Jonouchi, choose two random pieces of fruit, then put them in front of Atem."

"Uh, sure thing Yugi." Jonouchi said, and after looking over the bowl with Honda, he finally chose a cluster of grapes and a fresh apple. Carefully, he placed the two fruits in front of the Blind Prince.

Atem slowly reached out in front of him. At first, his hand just lingered in the air, but finally, it touched the first fruit. As his fingers traveled through the fruit, his milky-veiled eyes seemed to stare as if in an unnatural concentration. Finally, he gave a smirk and spoke. "This must be an apple," he said, "and this one is deep red, like blood." Jonouchi and Honda gasped in surprise, for the apple they chose really **is** a deep red color! Atem then moved on to the other fruit. Once again, his fingers navigated the surface, and when he was done, he smirked once again. "These had to be grapes," he mused as he plucked a grape from the cluster, "but which kind? Ah, it's a violet color, similar to amethyst. It must be it…" and without a second thought, he popped the grape into his mouth. "Just as I suspected. These are the grapes from which the red wine was made!" Boy did the jaws of the two travelers drop, for the grapes really **are** violet, and they **are** indeed, the grapes used to make red wine!

"Atem," Yugi said in amusement, "our new friends are gawking at you."

Atem merely chuckled and then said, "All right boys, how you try and make this a bit more challenging." Neither of them gave an answer, but scanned the fruit bowl yet again. This time, they picked out another apple, but it was more of a golden color. Jonouchi placed the apple in front of the Blind Prince, and watched as Atem once again let his fingers feel the smooth surface. For a moment, they grew stiff as if they were in pain, but they did not leave the surface. And now came the moment of truth. "Another apple." Atem said, "But unlike the first one you gave me, this one is golden, in mimicry of the jewels I wear."

"GYAAA!" Jonouchi finally blurted out in shock, "How did you DO THAT? YOU'RE BLIND, AND BLIND PEOPLE CAN'T SEE COLORS! How did you manage to name the color of certain objects with ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ACCURACY?"

Atem merely chuckled at the blonde's surprised outburst. "This is one of my gifts." he replied, "I can feel colors."

"Feel…colors?" Honda asked in confusion.

"That's right." Atem said, "Whenever I touch something, I feel two different kinds of temperature; one is the actual temperature and the other is the temperature of the color. Every color has its own temperature, with white being the hottest and black being the coldest. No one else is able to feel those temperatures, not even you, so your confusion is understandable."

"Whoa!" Honda said in awe, "That's amazing!"

"What about the colors of things you couldn't touch?" Jonouchi asked in interest.

"That's where another gift of mine comes to play." Atem said. "My hearing is so keen that I can measure distances and locate objects with sound."

"You mean, echolocation?" Jonouchi said in amazement.

"Exactly. And that echo carries color temperatures for my body to take in. In this way, I can identify certain objects and their colors from a distance, without the need of touching them."

"Awesome…" Jonouchi gasped, "It's like you have super powers!"

"Actually," Yugi said, "It's more like a sixth sense that heightens my brother's others senses to a preternatural level."

"In any case, we need to rest for tonight." Akunumkanon said, "There is news of an amazing dancing girl that had just arrived here in this kingdom. If the guards are correct, it is likely that she will be making a visit to the palace tomorrow afternoon."

"A dancing girl?" Honda asked, "Is she pretty?"

"I hope so." Yugi said, his eyes lit up with excitement, "I like to see what this dancing girl can do myself!"

"Well then, lets finish eating so we rest up for tomorrow!" Jonouchi said.

"Take your time Jonouchi!" Atem said, "You don't want to get a stomachache."

Note: And thus concludes a revealing chapter. In the next chapter, Atem has a chat with Jonouchi that will reveal much more, and the dancer makes her appearance! The real adventure is bound to start then. Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Note: It took a few days, but I finally got it up! By the way, Seto (named Seth in this story) makes his appearance in this chapter as well! Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Sharing Talents

Later that night, Jonouchi was just about ready to join his friend in the guest bedroom when suddenly, he heard a noise coming from the royal game room. It sounded like a battle, so he rushed forward to investigate. As he came closer, it became clear that there was a masculine voice speaking among the clash of steel.

"That's it… keep it up, keep it up!" Jonouchi slowed his pace, his initial alarm turning into curiosity. The voice he heard, although commanding in nature, seemed rather calm and encouraging. It did not sound like either of the royal twins, however. He slowly entered the game room and was surprised to see his new friend, the Blind Prince Atem, standing in the middle of the game room, holding a sword in his hand. A glowing ball of light lunged toward him, intending to strike him from behind. At first, Atem did not move, and that worried Jonouchi. But then, to the blonde's amazement, he turned around and struck the ball with his sword, gracefully and seemingly without effort. That was when another young man stepped forward. He was dressed in priestly robes in the style of Ancient Egypt, trimmed with a blue tunic, with a golden belt, and gold bracelets gracing his biceps and wrists. The young man had short brown hair, neatly combed to elegance, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to shine with intensity. "All right," the young man said to the Blind Prince, "that's enough with this exercise. Your echolocation skills seems to be improving."

"Thank you Seth." Atem replied in a friendly manner. "I worked so hard to hone in my hearing to that extent."

"In any case, we have one more scenario to practice with." replied the young man, whom Jonouchi figured was Seth, and once more he stepped back, and Atem went into his fighting stance. "You ready?"

"Ready!" was Atem's confident response, and soon stone soldiers moved forward to surround him.

"BEGIN!" Seth barked in command, and the stone soldiers launched themselves in attack. Immediately, Atem lifted his own sword to block their weapons and make his counterattack. Jonouchi watched in awe as the Blind Prince skillfully dodged the attacks, even though he was unable to see that they were coming. Atem struck hard at the stone soldiers, shattering them with a single swipe of his sword. One stone opponent attempted to swing its axe in a downward strike, but he quickly backflipped out of the way with grace and energy. _Whoa… pretty good reflexes for a guy who can't see!_ thought Jonouchi as he watched the Blind Prince jumped and sliced the stone soldier in two. Soon, there was rubble everywhere, and he nimbly traveled the floor without stumbling once, striking down two more opponents in a two-in-one attack. The final stone soldier rose up from behind, but without even bothering to turn around, he knocked it down with his strong fist. Then all was silent. Seth began to applaud. "Well done, Your Highness! That's the best melee performance yet!"

"Aw man! That's… amazing!" Jonouchi finally muttered aloud in exasperation, "No wonder your father said you're the most daring man in the kingdom!"

"Oh, hello Jonouchi." Atem said with a smile, stepping away from the vanishing debris. "I didn't know you were watching me practice. That's all right, though. I don't mind it one bit."

"So this is one of the lost travelers who came to the palace." Seth mused with a smirk, "I have to admit, this mutt sure makes for a good watchdog."

"Say WHAT?" Jonouchi shouted in anger, "WATCHDOG? MUTT?"

"Calm down, don't let him intimidate you." Atem said calmly, "This is Seth, the royal High Priest, and my cousin. He helps me in my battle training." Jonouchi, still angry at Seth for calling him a 'mutt', nevertheless manages to keep his mouth shut.

"Well, anyway, that's it for today." Seth said to the Blind Prince, "It's just about time for bed and your younger brother is waiting for you."

"I guess that means I'll be seeing you tomorrow then." Atem replied with a chuckle. "You'll be there when the dancing girl comes to the palace, right?"

"Only when you'll be there." Seth said as he walked away, "Good night."

"I guess it's my cue to go back to the guest bedroom." Jonouchi said sheepishly. "I'll see you in the morning." He had just started leaving when he felt Atem's hand pull him back.

"No, wait!" Atem said, "Let me come with you."

"Are you sure about this?" Jonouchi asked.

"You don't have to worry about me," Atem replied, "I know the way around my home, so I have no need for a walking stick."

Jonouchi smiled gratefully. "Thanks Atem."

* * *

As the two walked down the hallway leading toward the guest bedroom, it became noticeable to the blonde that Atem was deep in thought. And it looks as though he was ready to cry. "What's up Atem?" Jonouchi asked, "Is something bothering you?"

Slowly Atem turned his head toward his new friend, his milky-veiled eyes brimming with tears. "Jonouchi… there's something I need to tell you. This is the first time I've ever talked about this to a foreigner, but for some reason I need to let it out." They stopped for a moment, and Atem continued, "Do you remember Father telling you about how I am the most daring young man in the entire kingdom?" Jonouchi nodded, so Atem said with a sigh, "Well, there is a good reason for that. I wanted to prove myself to the world."

"To…prove yourself?" Jonouchi asked.

Atem gave a single nod, before saying, "For as long as I can remember, my blindness has always been my worst liability. When Yugi and I were children, we spent the first seven years of our lives in the palace, trying to adapt to my condition. It was no surprise that I discovered my gifts during that time. Then came the day that caused me great pain and misery." His tears began to flow down then. "You see, the first time I ever left the palace… it was the only time I was ever **ostracized** by my own people!"

Jonouchi stared in shock as Atem started weeping. "That's terrible! It must have been a scary experience."

"Actually, I wasn't scared at all…" Atem said, surprising his friend.

"You weren't? Seriously?"

"Seriously. Even today, I know nothing about feeling fear. What I did feel on that day, however, was pain, sorrow… and rejection. I still remember the sensation of other children shoving me into the mud, laughing at me and calling me names… I even recall the pain I felt when one of them kicked me in the stomach. Yugi tried his very best to protect me, but they started beating him too. If one of the guards hadn't shown up, who knows what would have happened to us! And if that wasn't bad enough, I overheard the adults talking about me. Sure, some expressed pity, but others spoke as if I were some kind of a royal _**abomination**_! They said that I am unfit to do all the things that they can do, because I can't see and they can!" Atem started sobbing like never before, the memory itself seeming to mock him. "It was horrible! Their voices were filled with anger and hatred toward me, all because I am blind!" Jonouchi couldn't help but feel sorry for his sad friend. Even though it happened only once, it must have left such a deep scar in his heart. Slowly, Atem's sobs subsided, but the sorrow had yet to leave. "By the time my family and I returned to the palace, I had already started crying like never before. I was so ashamed of myself for not being able to see. Later that same day, my father finally confessed the awful truth of my origins, of the terrible curse that robbed me of my sight."

"How did you take it?" Jonouchi asked.

"Not very well." Atem replied, "I kind of lashed out on him, blaming him for my blindness and for the terrible things that happened to me because of that. After that, I basically wound up crying myself to sleep. To this day, I still feel a deep sense of shame towards myself, even though I managed to find acceptance. As long as the curse continues to stand, I will remain blind, and the shame would continue to rest in my heart. As a result I will always feel the need to prove myself to the world. This is why I take part in many daring adventures around my kingdom." By then, Atem's tears were starting to fade and there was a moment of silence.

Finally, Jonouchi spoke. "Atem… You didn't have to tell me all of this. But you know, I'm glad you did. It takes a lot of guts to let it out, and you've got guts. But why me, of all people?"

Atem turned his head in the direction of the blonde and he smiled. "Of all the foreigners who come to my kingdom, you're one of the first foreigners I've met who is willing to talk to me, and to Yugi, as a normal person. I'm sure my brother would agree; we are bound to be great friends." Jonouchi couldn't help but return the smile, even though he knew his friend couldn't see it. Once again the two young men started to walk toward their destination. They were almost there when Atem said, "Oh, there's one more thing I need to tell you."

Jonouchi turned to face him, curious. "Well, what is it?"

"There's this one wish," Atem sighed, "this one dream that I want to fulfil more than anything: That someday, somehow, I would finally find a way to break this curse upon me, so that I would finally be able to see. Considering the circumstances, such a wish is lofty at best. So until that day comes, I will have to keep proving my worth."

"I see." Jonouchi said, just as the entrance to the guest bedroom came into view. "Well, anyway, it's time to get to sleep. Tomorrow's a big day, with the dancing girl and everything."

"It sure is." Atem commented, "Thank you for the conversation we had. It's as though a piece of the heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

"No problem, Atem." Jonouchi replied, "See you in the morning."

"All right." Atem said, "Good night." And with that, Atem made his own departure to join his little brother in slumber.

* * *

The next day, the royal twins joined up with their father and their cousin Seth to await the dancing girl's arrival. Jonouchi and Honda were with them, and they were starting to get a wee bit impatient. "When is she gonna be here?" grumbled Jonouchi.

"Yeah, what's taking her so long?" Honda complained.

Pharaoh Akunumkanon did a small chuckle and said, "Patience, you two. She will be coming any minute now." Atem grinned, but it soon became an expression of concentration when he turned his head toward the entrance of the throne room.

"Huh?" Yugi said in confusion, "What's up Atem?"

"Bells." Atem simply said, "I hear bells approaching." He smiled again. "There's no doubt. It must be her." Before long, the others also began to hear the pleasant sound of bells.

"Well, it's about time." Seth replied with a smirk.

"All right!" Jonouchi shouted excitedly, "Let's get this party started!" The jingling bells became louder, and sure enough, a feminine figure came forward. As she stepped out of the shadows, Yugi's eyes widened in wonder. She had a slim, graceful figure, and oh such a lovely face to match! Her straight chocolate brown hair reached her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes seemed to light up the entire throne room. Her outfit was an enchanting belly dancer's attire, all of which was colored soft pink and pastel violet. A sash of the two colors covered her bosom, and the skirt that reached her ankles was made up of several loose sashes of the same two colors, held up by a golden belt decorated with small flat disks ringing like bells, while her stomach and navel were completely exposed. A necklace of similar disks graced her neck, her ears were decorated with large golden earrings, and she had golden armbands on the tops of her biceps, below the shoulder, and five golden bracelets were grouped together comfortably around each of her wrists. Her thin anklets were covered in tiny round bells, and on her feet were sandals of soft leather. She smiled at everyone present and at first, Jonouchi and Honda were speechless.

"By what my echolocation is telling me," whispered Atem to his brother, "The dancing girl sure is a true beauty."

Yugi blushed at the comment, whispering in reply, "Yeah… You couldn't be more accurate." The dancing girl came closer to where the throne was, making the younger Prince blush even more furiously.

"Whoa, she gorgeous!" Honda said.

"Aw yeah!" Jonouchi whistled. It was then that she knelt down before the group reverently.

"Greeting Pharaoh Akunumkanon," she said, her lovely voice echoing in the halls, "I am Anzu, and this is my first time here in your kingdom. It is such an honor to be able to dance in your presence."

"And it is a pleasure to welcome you to my kingdom, Anzu." The Pharaoh replied with a smile. "I look forward to watching your performance today." His eyes then shifted to a small group of musicians, complete with hand drums, a tambourine and a sistrum. "Of course, we can't have a dance performance without music. So I hope you don't mind dancing to the songs of these musicians."

"Not at all." Anzu said cheerfully, and she stood up. "There is one thing though. Is there a flute player who can add to the music?"

At the mention of a flute player, Atem reached into his belt and took out a wooden vertical flute with golden designs painted on its surface. "I can play! That is, if you want me to." Atem suggested, "I would let my brother do it, but I think he's distracted right now."

"Atem!" Yugi said through clenched teeth in a hushed tone. By now, he was blushing like crazy.

"That would be great! Thank you!" Anzu giggled, but she became serious once she got into her starting pose. One musician starting beating the hand drums, and another shook a tambourine. Yet another one shook her sistrum, and the Blind Prince took it as a cue to start playing. He took the flute to his lips, and sweet music began to resonate within the throne room. The music was a slow pace at first, and Anzu began to move from her pose. Her arms seem to flow like a gentle wind, and soon the pace became a bit faster. The real dance has begun. Anzu twisted and turned to the music, all with fluid grace. Yugi was enchanted. To him, she was like ripples upon water, her body moving effortlessly across the floor.

At last, Anzu concluded her dance, and the music stopped with perfect timing. The others applauded her performance, while Jonouchi and Honda wolf-whistled for a job well done. "That was delightful!" Akunumkanon happily complemented.

"Impressive!" Seth said.

Yugi stood up and stepped forward to the dancing girl in excitement. "Anzu, That was amazing!" he gasped, "On behalf of my father, Pharaoh Akunumkanon, I highly praise your skills in dancing!"

"Thanks!" Anzu giggled, "And pleased to meet you, Prince Yugi. I'm delighted to know you enjoyed my performance!" Yugi found himself blushing at the complement. Then he found himself wondering why. Facing Atem now, Anzu said, "And you must be Yugi's brother, Prince Atem. Thank you so much for the music. You're very talented with the flute."

"My pleasure, Anzu." Atem replied, stepping forward, "But when it comes to talent, there's a lot more where that came from. I have but one request though. Do you mind if I touch your face?" Anzu let out a gasp of shock, but he calmly stated, "I know the thought of me getting into your personal space disturbs you at this moment, but in order to know what you look like, I have to do this at least once."

"Know what I look like? By touching my face?" Anzu shouted, "I don't understand! Why do you need to touch--" Her tone of voice soon became quiet. "Wait a second…" She looked deep into Atem's eyes and when she saw the milky-white veil that completely covered them, she finally understood. "You're…you're actually blind…"

"That's right Anzu." Atem confirmed, "And because I am blind, it is necessary that I must do it. Now please, let me ask again: Do you mind if I touch your face?"

Anzu recovered from her bewilderment, and shaking her head she answered, "N-no. Not at all." And she closed her eyes, allowing the Blind Prince to navigate his fingers over her lovely face. Atem inwardly smirked to himself; she was just like what his echolocation had revealed to him. All the more reason to tease his little brother. Once he withdrew his hand, Anzu smiled at him. "Sorry about that outburst Your Highness. To be honest, I've never met a blind man before."

"There's always a first time for everything Anzu, so there's nothing to worry about." Atem said with a smile, "And please, call me Atem."

"All right Atem." Anzu said, "So what other talents do you have?"

"Is it all right if I show you one of them?" Asked Atem.

"Sure." Anzu replied, "Go right ahead!"

Atem turned his head toward his cousin. "Seth, hand me the bow and arrows."

Seth, understanding what was being planned, smirked and said, "Of course Atem." He went to the side and when he came back out, he brought out a bow and some arrows and gave it to the Blind Prince. "Let's do this outside, shall we?"

"Good idea." said Atem. By then, Jonouchi and Honda started staring at them with curiosity. Nevertheless, they followed the others outside. Atem stood in front everyone, arming his bow with an arrow. Seth, on the other hand, had some clay disks in his hand.

"All right Atem, are you ready?" Seth shouted.

"Ready!" Atem called out as he pulled back the string. Immediately, the High Priest threw a disk very high, at a very long distance. Atem stood still as the disk flew, before he let his arrow fly. The arrow hit its mark. Jonouchi and Honda stared at their friend with wide eyes. Needless to say, they were truly surprised.

"Whoa… pretty good aim for a guy who can't see!" Honda said in exasperation.

"Wait until you see what he can do with a sword!" Jonouchi muttered.

"Okay, let's take it to the next level!" Seth shouted, and he threw five more disks all at once, and each disk started to separate from one another. Atem did nothing at first, but quickly took five arrows and launched them all together in one shot. When he heard the rapid domino effect of shattering disks, he smirked in satisfaction.

"Okay! Forget 'pretty good', Honda." Jonouchi stammered, "This is **very** good aim for a guy who can't see!"

"Wow! That was incredible!" Anzu cheered, "How did you do that?"

"It's my echolocation at work." Atem replied with a smile. "This is just one of the gifts I have to make up for my lack of sight."

"Awesome!" Anzu said, "You're really something else! When I get back to the Delta, I'm going to tell everyone about you!"

"The-the Delta?" Honda gasped suddenly, "You come from the kingdom at the river's delta?"

"Well, yeah." Answered Anzu in a matter-of-fact sort of way, "Why do you ask?"

"No way! That's where **we're** going!" Jonouchi exclaimed in excitement, pointing to himself and Honda, "It's our first time traveling there, actually. You see, I have a little sister who moved there in order to set up a basket weaving business, and we were on our way to the Delta to visit her, when we got lost in the desert. If it weren't for Pharaoh Akunumkanon and his twin sons, who knows what would have happened!"

"Well, in that case, would you guys like to come back with me?" Anzu suggested, "I'm just about ready to leave anyway."

"Really?" Jonouchi said, "Thanks Anzu! You're a really big help!" Atem, though, expressed intense curiosity. He stepped toward the dancing girl.

"Anzu, you said you're from the Delta." he said, "What's it like?"

"Oh, it's a wonderful place." replied Anzu, "There are many prosperous farms, and the fishermen traveling the river and the sea are known to sing incredible songs as they catch fish." Atem listened with great fascination. For most of his life, he had never traveled beyond the borders of his kingdom, in spite of being known as a daring adventurer. That's it, his mind was made up. He turned in the direction of his father, and what he said surprised everyone.

"Father, I too want to go with Anzu and experience the kingdom at the river's delta."

Akunumkanon stared at his eldest son with wide eyes. "What? Are you serious Atem? The world outside this kingdom is particularly harsh for a blind man like yourself!"

"All the more reason to prove myself worthy in the eyes of that world. I am more than capable of facing whatever danger lurks outside. Please Father, let me go with her."

Akunumkanon was speechless at first, but then he let out a sigh of defeat and said, "Very well Atem. I will let you go beyond the kingdom."

"In that case," Yugi spoke up, "I'm going too!"

"No Yugi!" Atem shouted in concern. "I will not let you get hurt like you did long ago!"

"I want to help you, Atem!" Yugi shouted in determination, "Don't you get it? I'm your brother, and I want to take part in the same daring adventures you do! I want to prove myself to the world just as much as you do, so please! Let me go with you and help you out!"

Atem's expression grew soft. "All right Yugi. I think it's about time we team up."

"Thanks Atem!" Yugi said, giving his older brother a hug, "I won't let you down!"

"Yeah! You guys actually get to come with us!" Honda cheered.

"I can hardly contain my own excitement!" Jonouchi said.

"Seth," Akunumkanon said to the High Priest, grabbing the latter's attention. "My boys may be able to take care of themselves, but nevertheless I want you to go with them. Just in case."

"No need to worry, Uncle." Seth murmured sternly, "I'll make sure the twins are safe in their journey."

The Pharaoh nodded and said to the group, "Good luck everyone. And be careful."

"We will, Father." Atem said, "Thank you."

Note: And so, the adventure begins! By the way, the sistrum is that Ancient Egyptian set of rattle-like bells shaped like an ankh, in case you don't know already. Anyway, the next chapter reveals the beginning of a certain villain's wicked plot. Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

Note: I'm finished with chapter number four, and here's where it get's really interesting! The main bad guy is introduced here, along with an interesting twist. So enjoy the next chapter of the story!

Chapter 4: The Nomarch's Spy

At the same time the six adventurers were preparing for their journey to the kingdom by the river's delta, trouble was beginning to brew at that very same kingdom. You see, not so far away from Pharaoh Setna's ocean shores, there was a rocky island ruled by a nomarch by the name of Dartz. He was very handsome indeed, with long, turquoise colored hair and bangs shaped like lightning, and eyes with sun yellow irises. He wore the robes fit for Egyptian nobility, but his heart was anything but noble. It held sophisticated cruelty and menace, an ugly contrast to an otherwise beautiful form. And right now, he was scheming.

On this day, as he would every other day and night, Dartz sat in his study, peering at Pharaoh Setna's lands from within his crystal ball.

"Ah, such a prosperous kingdom it is," Dartz said with a smirk, "with its rich farms and life-giving river filled with delectable fish. Oh how I want it all for myself! Its people would even make for the most perfect of slaves!" His smirk faded into a frustrated frown. No matter how hard he tried, he could not claim his prize. Sure, he had many strong soldiers, but they are no match for the more capable soldiers that fought by Setna's side. And although he was able to use powerful magic, he figured that now would **not** be the time to use it. After all, the last thing he needed was a full-scale war caused by a direct attack. War, for the moment, was a complete waste of his time, and if he had to go to war with Setna, it would be more likely that he would lose. Even if he did win the war, the very kingdom he wants to conquer would likely be destroyed in the process. And what good is being king if there is no kingdom to rule over? "There has to be some way to get rid of that Pharaoh and his two daughters without having to go to war…" He thought long and hard. Finally, he had an idea, and his smirk soon returned. "Oh, I know! Heh heh heh, I'll send Mahaad over there to spy for me, and in this way I'll find out what exactly what they're like! Why didn't I think of this before? Perhaps the perfect plan will spring up once I get some knowledge about the royal family!" He chuckled wickedly, and called out, "Mahaad, come here!" Soon another young man stepped forward. He was dressed in rich priestly robes, with golden shoulder armor and armbands. Straight violet hair reached a little past his shoulders, and his blue-violet eyes stared right into Dartz's own.

"You called for me Master?" said the young man, Mahaad, with a smirk. Dartz returned the wicked smile. Oh how he loved to hear that word, how he loved to be called 'Master'! You see, about a few months ago, Dartz was traveling nearby the Delta when he made an encounter with a wandering magician. That magician was none other than Mahaad, and he was the wielder of magic that was even more powerful than that of Dartz. The nomarch sensed this mighty magic and realized that Mahaad would prove quite useful. At first, Dartz tried to win over the magician with his smooth talk, but Mahaad likewise sensed the wickedness from within his heart and refused all of his offers. Enraged, Dartz finally attacked. The battle was fierce and Mahaad had a great advantage. But in the end, somehow, Dartz managed to overcome his opponent, and succeeded in capturing Mahaad. To subdue him further, the nomarch brainwashed him, and ever since then Mahaad had served him with utter loyalty.

"I have a simple request for you." Dartz said, "You know of the Delta kingdom, do you not?"

"Why of course, Master." Mahaad replied.

"I want you to go over there." Dartz said, "And once you get there, I want you to learn a thing or two about Pharaoh Setna's royal family. Perhaps by gaining some information about them we'll finally find a way to do away with that Pharaoh, so that I can take control of his kingdom at last!"

Mahaad bowed to the nomarch, saying, "I will do as you wish Master, you can count on me." And so without hesitation, Mahaad packed up everything he might need in his trip—and down at the very bottom he hid the scroll that is his spellbook. Dartz smirked to himself, turning back toward the crystal ball. 

* * *

The next morning, Mahaad put on some peasant's clothing, and while it was still dark he took a small boat and rowed to the mainland by means of the river. Once he was in far enough, Mahaad pulled the boat to the side of the river and tied it under a palm tree. That was when he started his exploration of the city.

All along the way, he saw that the houses and market stalls were decorated with banners, all in many shades of yellow. "Hmmm, there must be a very good reason these banners are up." Mahaad said to himself in thought. "Too bad I can't ask yet. After all, everyone's still asleep." So he moved onward. By the time he reached the palace doorway, the sun had just started to rise. The stone door was shut tight and guarded by two huge greyhounds, both of which were wearing lovely gold collars with their names, _**Shu**_ and _**Tefnut**_, inscribed in hieroglyphs. Luckily for him, the greyhounds were asleep as well. Slowly he crept by them and stepped toward the door. _So far so good,_ he thought, _now all I need to do is get through that door._ He began to chant a spell that would summon a portal to help him get through the door. But when he completed his chant, nothing happened. Mahaad was truly shocked. _What the? The gate spell isn't working? But that's impossible! It can work back at the Master's abode, why can't it work here?_ That's when it finally dawned on him. It turns out that, due to his twisted sense of humor, Dartz had cast a spell that made sure that Mahaad could not use his own magic beyond the boundaries of the rocky island and the sea that surrounds it. And once he realized this, his fury knew no bounds. With both fists he slammed the stone door repeatedly… and hard. All that commotion woke the two greyhounds, and immediately they sprung into action. "Oh crud!" Mahaad exclaimed as Shu growled and snapped at him. Tefnut curled her lips back to reveal her sharp teeth, and she barked fiercely. Mahaad moved back immediately. "Why you little--" he growled, picking up a thick stick. 

But just as he was about to swing the stick to strike the greyhounds, he heard a soft voice speaking to him. "Are you a stranger?" the voice asked. Mahaad dropped the stick and turned around just in time to see a lovely maiden. She had long auburn hair and deep blue eyes, and she was clad in a long peasant's dress. She stared at him with curiosity. Although surprised at first, Mahaad managed to compose himself.

"Oh, of course young lady." he quickly replied, "I've just walked over from my farm on the other side of the riverbank."

"I see," the girl said with a smile, "My name is Shizuka. Welcome to the Delta kingdom! May I offer you some of my baskets? I wove them all myself, and with such craftsmanship they're certainly worth buying." Even as she spoke, she picked up a papyrus reed from a bundle at her feet, and skillfully wove it in and out to make her latest basket.

"Thank you, but I'll pass." Mahaad said politely. "Oh, Can you tell me what holiday it is in this city today?"

"Well, there's no particular holiday that's being celebrated today." Shizuka said, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I just happened to see some banners fluttering from every house and market stall on the way here." Mahaad said smugly, "Did you see them as you came along?"

"Banners?" Shizuka exclaimed in excitement, "The banners are out? Oh my goodness, can you show me?"

"Certainly," Mahaad said, "They're right over there."

"Ah!" Shizuka gasped, "The banners are in every shade of yellow! This could only mean one thing! The Daring Huntress has returned from another dangerous adventure!"

"The Daring Huntress?" Mahaad asked in confusion.

"Why, Princess Nimea, of course! She's the eldest of Pharaoh Setna's two daughters. And since the yellow banners are out, there's bound to be a parade. You'll be able to see her and the Pharaoh from here."

"Indeed," Mahaad said with a sly smile, "no one could be more anxious to see the Pharaoh and at least one of the two princesses than I am." The trumpets began to sound, and before long, there were people rushing out of their homes in excitement. They were everywhere, lining the sides of the road, crowding on rooftops, and some even climbed up palm trees. They shouted joyfully to each other, waving their arms wildly.

Finally, a richly decorated war chariot appeared, drawn by two white stallions. On the chariot was Pharaoh Setna, strong, dignified and handsome for someone his age. And with him was a beautiful young woman, bearing a strong resemblance to the dancing girl, Anzu, except she had bright red hair hanging in a cluster of many braids. She was clad in a short sleeveless dress, which is covered by a magnificent golden breastplate, and golden armbands covered her forearms. Oh, how the people cheered at the sight! 

"Long life and health to the Pharaoh! Praise to our heroic princess! Long Life and health to Nimea, the Daring Huntress!" 

Shizuka could hardly contain her excitement. "What did she bring back this time?" As if she heard her question, the princess stepped in front of her father. She held up the body of a large black lion with long, cruel claws and powerful muscles. "Oh my! Did you see that? She isn't called the Daring Huntress for nothing! That black lion has been slaughtering many herds of oxen from the farms around the river! Didn't it attack the animals at your farm?" Mahaad gave no reply, so she went on, "Its home was in a vast savanna near the desert. No one else dared to go there and strike it down, and the ones who tried before her failed miserably. Most of them didn't even come back, for it was so fast, so strong, so **deadly**! And to think that Princess Nimea is able to overcome that beast once and for all! She truly is one of the two most daring women in the world!"

"Ah, so this princess is a daring woman, isn't she?" said Mahaad, "This is interesting." He gave a sly smirk that even Shizuka didn't notice. "If you'll excuse me, I think it's time for me to depart. The parade is just about over, and I've got some important matters to attend to. Thank you, and farewell." Once he made his departure, Mahaad couldn't help but give a low chuckle. "The Master will be very pleased to hear about this!" he said to himself, "Very pleased indeed!"

Note: The plot thickens! Oh, by the way, a nomarch is the name for the governors of Ancient Egypt. In the next chapter, Dartz conjures up a plan, and starts putting it to work! Until next time!


	5. Chapter 5

Note: Hey there peeps! Got the next chapter up! Now witness Dartz put his plan into action! Enjoy!

Chapter 5: The Bait and the Lure

Mahaad left the mainland as quickly and quietly as possible, and when he approached the seas surrounding the rocky island, he made mental contact with Dartz. ((Master? Can you hear me?))

((Ah, Mahaad!)) was Dartz's reply, ((You're back! Did you get any vital information while you were there?))

((More vital than you can imagine!)) said Mahaad, ((I'll tell you all about it as soon as I get back to the island!))

* * *

Once he was back at the island, the magician told his master everything he had just seen and heard. Dartz smiled wickedly. "I see… so the eldest daughter, Princess Nimea, is one of the two most daring women in the world."

"I also heard that the people in the Delta called her the Daring Huntress." Mahaad said.

"I suppose she was given that title for a very good reason." chuckled the nomarch.

"Well, from what I saw during that parade, she is a hunter of beasts." The magician noted.

"Perhaps she is a treasure hunter as well," Dartz added, "If that's the case, there must be some treasure that we could use as a means to lure our princess here."

"Now that you mentioned it…" Mahaad said, and he took out his scrolls and eagerly unrolled them one by one. Aside from the scrolls that contained his spells, there were scrolls that contained information about certain sea creatures, like leviathans and sea nymphs, and there were scrolls that talk about enchanted arms and armor, and scrolls that spoke of lucky stones. Finally, Mahaad unrolled the scroll that he was looking for, and he set it on the table. "Look here." he said, pointing to the scroll, "It speaks of a certain magic pearl that grows inside of a giant oyster which rests under the depths of the sea. And it so happens that this oyster is located right by this very island! I made this discovery a few months ago, and I've been using it as bait for other pitiful treasure hunters ever since. Would you like to know about it?"

Dartz, at that very moment, was touched with sinister inspiration, and a wicked grin appeared on his face. "Mahaad," he said, "I'm all ears!"

* * *

The next day, Dartz himself put on his own disguise, that of a rich traveler. He approached the guards at the palace gates riding a beautiful black Arabian stallion. "Halt! State your business, stranger." One of the guards said to him.

"Greeting to you all." Dartz said, "I am Dartz, nomarch of the rocky island north of the Delta. I have come to this place to congratulate the Pharaoh's daughter on her many daring adventures."

"Well," the guard said pleasantly, "in that case, come right in! The Pharaoh is giving a banquet today in honor of Princess Nimea's successful quest and safe return. Feel free to have a seat among the other nobles. They, and the royal family, will be happy to meet such a thoughtful neighbor." With that, Dartz got off his horse and entered the palace. He took a seat, seemingly unnoticed by the other nobles. While the serving girls tended to and entertained the guests, he was secretly admiring the richness of banquet table. As he looked around, he found Pharaoh Setna, with Princess Nimea sitting beside him. The guest praised her for both her courage and her beauty. Dartz took note of that. He also took note that many young men, all of whom were bachelors, were approaching her as well. Each and every one of them gave even more praises to her than all the other guests. Most were even declaring their love for her, saying that they are willing and able to do anything for her.

"Oh come on! It's going to take more than that to win my heart!" she replied to every one of them with annoyance in her tone of voice, "Do you even know what it takes? You need to have courage, determination, and a noble heart for that matter! That's what helped me overcome that black lion. I traveled a long distance just to track it down! And when I finally found it, it was a struggle just to defeat that terrible monster! But I was determined, and thus I managed to put an end to its menace! Can you even **match** that daring display of courage and determination with a boldness of your own? If any of you claim that you have what it takes, why not prove it to me by showing it?"

_Hmmm, it seems that the princess wants a to marry a man who is as daring as herself._ Dartz thought to himself smugly. _Too bad she won't be meeting her sweetheart anytime soon._ Just then, there was a soft cooing sound that got the Pharaoh's attention. Not long after that, a light gray dove gently swooped toward him, carrying a small papyrus scroll. Quickly, it dropped the scroll onto Setna's lap before making its departure. "Ah, someone has sent a letter for me." Setna said, and he unrolled the scroll and with the guests looking straight at him, his eyes scanned it—then widened with a surprised sort of joy. "It's from my youngest daughter, the Dancing Explorer!" Setna exclaimed happily to the guests, "She's coming home from her latest journey!"

"Really?!" Nimea exclaimed in excitement, "Oh this is wonderful! Imagine all the stories my little sister will tell this time! I can hardly wait!" All the guests cheered at the news, for they too adored the stories of Princess Nimea's little sister, who was otherwise known as "The Dancing Explorer". Dartz, on the other hand, simply smiled. _So the other most daring woman is none other than Pharaoh Setna's second daughter! Wait until my little mind slave hears about this!_

* * *

At last, the banquet was over and most of the guests made their way homeward. Dartz moved over to a place where no one else was watching, and he waited for the Pharaoh and his daughter to go their separate ways within the palace. At last, that moment came. When he saw her, there was another girl with her. She was spunky, with a thin build, wild dirty blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She had a short dress, revealing her smooth legs, and white ankle-length boots with small ropes to tie it securely in place. A veil-like headdress rested on top of her head, finishing her look. Dartz then noticed how the white cloth was almost yellowed with time and dust. He figured immediately that this girl was a poor servant. Yet she and Princess Nimea were talking to each other as if they were equals.

"Nimea, what you did was totally amazing!" the girl said, "Of all the people who went after the black lion, you were the only one who could show him who's boss!"

"Too bad there isn't a man who couldn't match my boldness… so far." Nimea replied, "I mean, I know that such a man exists out there. He just hasn't shown up yet, that's all." That was when Dartz decided to show himself, and quietly he stepped into their view.

"Hello there, ladies." Dartz greeted.

"Oh! Hello there!" Nimea said, "Are you a guest at the banquet?"

"Why certainly, Your Highness." Dartz said with an air of politeness, "I am Dartz, nomarch of the rocky island north of the Delta. I've heard all about your daring adventures, and I want to personally congratulate you on your success."

"Thanks." Nimea said with confidence. "But if you're one of those men who seek to win my heart, I must tell you: flattery will get you nowhere."

"I already realize that, so you don't have to repeat."

The servant girl stepped forward and nervously bowed to Dartz. "H-hello, I'm Mana," the girl said, "I'm just a simple kitchen maid in this palace. It's not everyday I get to meet a noble face to face. Would you like to have one of the royal goblets? They're made of the finest clay, and the lotus designs are sure to bring beauty to your home."

But Dartz shook his head. "Why thank you, Miss Mana, but I am setting forth on a rather dangerous journey myself, so I dare carry nothing with me except my khopesh and a bottle of Sargasso tea."

Nimea gave him a look of curiosity. "Huh? Sargasso tea? What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, I've known about a whole lot of different teas in my experience as a kitchen maid," Mana said with equal curiosity, "but I've never heard of Sargasso tea before. Is this a new kind of tea that was just invented?"

"And does it have to do with that dangerous journey you're setting off in?" Nimea asked, "What is this journey anyway?"

"I'd thought you'd never ask." Dartz smugly replied, "On the far side of my rocky island, there is a part of the ocean simply known as the Great Sargasso Sea. It is named so, because the giant seaweeds there grow so tall that their leaves float on the surface. Many sailors fear this place, for it said that somewhere near the center there is a whirlpool that sucks anything that drifts into it to the bottom of the sea. But many treasure hunters venture there, whether they be rich or poor, young or old. For as I have learned, there is a giant oyster living in a cave near this spot. Inside the shell of that oyster, there is a pearl as big as a goose egg." Dartz paused to see if his story had interested the Daring Huntress.

"A pearl?" she exclaimed, "As huge as a goose egg? I've never heard of that kind of treasure! Do tell us more!"

"Well, this is no ordinary pearl," the nomarch went on, "It is called, 'the Siren's Pearl' and such a pearl is created by that oyster once every five hundred years. What makes it so special? Well, I'll tell you. Anyone who can take the Siren's Pearl from the oyster and return safely to land, shall make a wish, any wish they want—and that wish shall be fulfilled! For example, an old man could wish to be young again, or a simple maiden could wish for radiant beauty, or someone poor could wish to be rich beyond their wildest dreams! As for me, well I shall wish for a trip to the moon and back."

Princess Nimea's eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Really?! Wow, what an adventure that would be! That's what I would wish for too—only, it would be for my little sister! You see, she loves to travel even more than I do. In fact, she's the one who goes out to explore unknown territory, and she discovered many lands and kingdoms that are marked on the map today. Oh, if I get my hands on that Siren's Pearl, I'll use it to give my little sister the perfect present: a trip to the moon and back!"

"That sure would be fun." Mana said thoughtfully, "But Dartz, shouldn't you get going? Since this Siren's Pearl is only created one every five hundred years, there's a possibility that someone might get to it before you do, so surely you must be in hurry to start."

Dartz just smiled, "Oh, I'm not worried about that. There's actually another giant oyster that holds yet another Siren's Pearl, one that has yet to be located of course. But for the oyster that lies in the cave, well, it's unlikely that anyone will even get to that cave. Many of the world's most courageous men and women before you have tried, but none have ever returned."

"Did they all drown?" Mana asked in a worried tone.

Dartz merely laughed and said, "No, not at all young lady! Allow me to explain. You see, this Siren's Pearl is guarded by a fiendish squid. Such a dreadful eight-legged monster he is. He has no power to harm those who do not fear him, but get this: he has the power to drain away the courage of those who look upon his horrible appearance. And once all that courage is completely drained away, he catches those terrified victims, and changes them into any sea creature that will amuse him."

"How awful! In that case, I'll go to that cave too." Nimea said with determination in her heart, "I will confront that beast personally if I have to. Once I get the first Siren's Pearl afterwards, I'll locate the second Siren's Pearl and use **it** to free all those poor souls from his magical bondage."

"You truly are a generous young lady, Princess." Dartz said. "It's no wonder you are admired by all."

"And **you** must have guts to try and face the dangers of this journey!" Nimea said, "You're almost as daring as I am! And I do mean 'almost'. You still don't have what it takes to win my heart."

"Well, luckily for you, I have no intention to court you." Dartz replied. "But I doubt you really have the same guts as I do in order to attempt this dangerous task. By the looks of it, that squid would certainly drain away your courage and frighten you to submission like all the others before you. Or even if you **do** overcome the squid, you'd wake up the giant oyster and it would snap shut its shell, and you'd very likely be held fast in its grasp."

But just as the nomarch planned, everything he said made the Daring Huntress even more determined to go, if only to save all the treasure hunters that came before her. "I will not stand by and let those people suffer any further! I'm going!"

"I guess there's no changing your mind in that matter." Dartz said, "In any case I should get going. Thank you for letting me take part in such a marvelous banquet!"

"With pleasure!" replied Princess Nimea with a smile and she and Mana waved goodbye. And so Dartz left the palace, very pleased at the success of his plan.

* * *

As soon as darkness approached, Dartz returned to his palace on the rocky island. Mahaad was waiting for him there.

"Welcome back Master." he said. "How did it go?"

"Heh, heh, heh, everything is going according to plan," Dartz chuckled, "And the revelations I made would make it even better in the process! I'll tell you all about it once the Daring Huntress comes in our grasps. But right now, it's time to put this plan into further action. You know what to do."

"As always." Mahaad simply replied. With a single bow to his master, he used powerful magic to change himself into a huge, dark violet squid. Then without hesitation, went into the ocean and swam down to the cave that connects to the rocky island, where the giant oyster was resting. "Everything is all set up." Mahaad said to himself, "All I need to do now is wait for her…"

Note: Things are looking bad for the delta. In the next chapter, our six travelers will wind up reaching a kingdom soon to be in peril. Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Note: I'm happy to announce that the next chapter is finished! Now the wheel is starting to turn! Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Departure and Disappearance of the Daring Huntress

At the Delta Palace, Princess Nimea could think of nothing but the Siren's Pearl, and of the treasure hunters before her_. This Siren's Pearl truly is an incredible prize._ She thought, _Certainly most of the other treasure hunters must have gone after it for their own gain. How long has it been going on?_ This question only made Nimea's determination even stronger. At last, she came to Pharaoh Setna. "Father," she said, "May I have a word with you?"

"Of course, my child." Setna said, "What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Have you heard about the Siren's Pearl?" Nimea asked, "The pearl that has the power to grant a single wish?"

"Why yes, I've heard of its recent discovery. I have yet to see such a pearl with my own eyes though."

"Well, I'm going to the Great Sargasso Sea to find it!" Nimea announced. The Pharaoh stared at her with great shock.

"What? But you just got back home!" he stuttered, "After going through your previous mission, shouldn't you take a rest for a while? Besides, a journey to the Great Sargasso Sea is even more dangerous any other. In fact, several men and women searching for that pearl had disappeared recently."

"It is for these people that I will look for the Siren's Pearl." Nimea reasoned, "A nomarch named Dartz even mentioned that there is a second Siren's Pearl yet to be discovered, and I seek to find it as well. And once I have both, I will use one of them to save all the men and women who have disappeared. The other will be used to bestow a gift to my sister soon afterwards. Please Father, you must let me go there! I cannot stand by and do nothing while there are others in peril!"

For a moment, Setna was undeniably speechless. Then he said to her, "Nimea, let me summon one of our advisors and see what he has to say."

Before long, a small, sturdy old man stepped into the throne room. He was dressed in the robes of a priest, and even the lower part of his face was covered with a cloth. "Ah, Your Majesty!" he said, "Is there something you need to discuss."

"Yes Siamun," Setna said, "In fact, it's Nimea who needs to talk to you."

"Do you know anything about Sargasso tea?" she asked.

"Sargasso tea, huh?" Siamun said, "Hmm, now how should I put this? Sargasso tea gives the drinker the ability to breathe underwater. I know for certain, because I make this kind of tea."

"You do?!" Nimea exclaimed, "Can you make some for me then? I need it in a journey to the Great Sargasso Sea to get the Siren's Pearl!"

"The Siren's Pearl?!" Siamun shouted in horror, "You're crazy! Anyone who goes to that part of the ocean nowadays has never come back!"

"And that's the reason I'm going there myself!" she said, "I want to save them!"

"But Princess, it's too dangerous!" Siamun said worriedly, "Sure, with other dangerous missions, you return successfully, but this journey makes them all seem tame in comparison! I fear that this time you might never return at all!"

"Calm down, Siamun," Nimea reassured, "You don't have to worry about me. I know what I'm doing, and I will come back with that Siren's Pearl, or even two of them."

"But what about your younger sister?" the old advisor whimpered, "Don't you want to wait for her to come back like you always do?"

"Not this time. The longer I wait, the more those people will suffer. And besides, I have a special gift for her in mind. Trust me, it's going to be just fine."

There was a rather uncomfortable silence, before finally, with a sigh, Siamun said, "Oh very well, you can go. I'll make you some Sargasso tea and help with other preparations."

"Thank you Siamun." Nimea said with a smile.

"Just make sure you come back safely." Pharaoh Setna said, "I tend to worry about you too, you know."

Nimea gave her father a gentle hug. "Thanks for your concern Father. But you have no need to worry." And then she stepped out of the throne room.

* * *

Two days later, accompanied by a single boatman, Princess Nimea galloped on her white horse down the road to the shore. There on the sand sat Shizuka, weaving her papyrus reed baskets. When the princess stepped toward the boat with her servant, Shizuka looked up from her work, and stood up waving at her with a smile.

"Princess Nimea! Hi there!" she greeted cheerfully.

Nimea looked back in surprise. "Huh? How did you know who I was?"

Shizuka smiled. "Your sister told me all about you!" she answered, "She even told me about all the adventures you took part in! It's such an honor to finally meet you!"

"Oh, so you must be Shizuka, the basket weaver!" Nimea said happily, "My sister told me about you as well! And wow! She wasn't kidding when she said you make great baskets! I think I'll buy one of them when I get back."

"Thank you so much!" Shizuka said, bowing politely to the princess as the latter and her servant went on board a small reed boat. "By the way, where are you going exactly?"

"To the bottom of the Great Sargasso Sea, Shizuka." Nimea replied, "I'm going to find the Siren's Pearl down there. Two of them if that rumor is true, in fact. I'll use one on behalf of all the treasure hunters who came before me, and wish for their freedom and salvation. And with the other one, I'll wish for my sister to be able to take a trip to the moon and back. Just think of it—my little sister, taking a trip to the moon and back again! I'm sure she'll love it!"

"Oh! Good luck Nimea!" Shizuka said, "If anyone can get the Siren's Pearl, I know you'll be the one!"

The princess laughed, even as the boatman started to row away. "Thanks Shizuka! If you see my sister, tell her I said hi!"

Then she was gone.

* * *

It was a long trek in the desert, and the six travelers had been following the river for almost a week now. Four of them rode upon camels, but only Prince Atem and High Priest Seth rode on horses. "Atem, I know this is going to sound a bit silly," Jonouchi said, "but are you guiding the horse, or is the horse guiding you?"

"Actually, it's both ways." Atem replied, petting his horse, "In addition to my own gifts, my horse acts as a second pair of eyes. We often work together to get where we want to go."

"But what about when you're traveling on foot?" Honda asked.

"Well, since he's going beyond our kingdom for the first time, he's using his sword as a walking stick to guide him." said Prince Yugi.

"I suppose any would-be attacker would find him pretty intimidating." Anzu said.

"Most of them do." Seth said, "Prince Atem is an excellent swordsman in spite of his blindness, and those who would ignore the obvious and try attack him are bound to learn of this the hard way." It wasn't long before Atem's horse snorted, and the Blind Prince soon felt her restlessness.

"What is it?" he asked, "Are you getting thirsty?" The horse nudged him in confirmation. "Okay then, let's take a small break so can drink."

"I think that's a great idea!" Anzu said, "Besides, the kingdom at the river's delta is only a few miles away. I can even see it from here!"

Yugi, Jonouchi and Honda looked over to the view of the city in the distance and they all gasped in awe. "Whoa! Anzu, it's amazing!" Yugi said. "Is that the kingdom at the river's delta?"

"That's right Yugi." Anzu said.

"And to think we're almost there!" Honda said. Seth just smiled. It was nice to see something different for once. Soon the travelers stopped by the side of the river to let their animals rest for a moment. Atem quietly stood by as his loyal steed took a refreshing drink. Just then, a figure came out of the shadows, sneaking up from behind the Blind Prince. The figure turned out to be a bandit, and figuring that this blind man was an easy target, grinned wickedly and raised a dagger in order to slay him and take his belongings. Yugi had looked up just in time to see the bandit make his attempt, but just as the younger prince was about to scream a warning to his brother, Atem had already sensed the dangerous presence. Just as the bandit had thrust the dagger downward, Atem immediately drew his sword—and sliced off the bandit's hand in a flash! The bandit screamed in horror and pain, and had barely started backing away when Atem grabbed him by the head.

"And what do you think **you're** doing?" the Blind Prince growled.

"D-d-don't hurt me!" whimpered the terrified bandit, "I-I just wanted to get a little trinket!"

"Oh sure you do…" Atem said, grabbing hold of a necklace that was around the bandit's neck, "Like you got that emerald necklace from another victim of yours?"

"Ack! How did a blind man like you know that it was--"

"That's not of your concern." Atem interrupted, "Now you listen to me very carefully: I will let you go this time, but if you try to attack me or any of my friends again, I'll make sure you lose more than a hand. Get out of my presence!" The bandit backed away, slowly at first, but then once he was far enough, he ran away, screaming bloody murder all the way out of sight. Yugi recovered quickly from the initial horror, while Anzu, Jonouchi and Honda merely stared in bewilderment.

"You see." Seth said smirking, "Any attacker who is foolish enough to assume that he's an easy target often winds up underestimating him… big time."

Prince Atem put his sword back in its sheath, and said, "Let's move onward, shall we? I sure don't want to make another encounter with thieves like this one." All the others agreed, and made haste to the Delta kingdom in the distance.

* * *

The sun was already halfway out of the horizon when at last the six travelers made it to their destination.

"Awesome…" Jonouchi gasped, "This is better than what my sister told me!"

"You like what you see so far?" Anzu asked.

"It's beautiful Anzu!" Yugi said, "I can even see the ocean from here!"

"Me too," Honda said, filled with excitement.

"Well, if you want to go swimming there, you're just going to have to wait." Anzu said, "There's one person we need to visit before we do anything else. Follow me." They all quietly went through the streets, until they reached a quaint little house by the sea. Jonouchi's eyes widened as he recognized the reed baskets on display.

"Hey! That's Shizuka's house over there!" he exclaimed.

"Shizuka?" Atem said curiously.

"My little sister." Jonouchi said, "She's the basket weaver I was talking about. You know, the one who almost went blind."

"Well when you mentioned that your sister was a basket weaver, I knew exactly who you were talking about." Anzu said with a smile, "It's such a coincidence! Shizuka happens to be my friend!"

"No way!" Honda said, "That's amazing!"

"Let's go inside." Anzu said, "Atem, Yugi, I'm sure you would like to meet her."

Oh definitely!" Yugi said.

"It will be a pleasure to meet a member of Jonouchi's family." Atem said. With that, Anzu stepped toward the door and knocked.

"Who is it?" a soft voice called out, and soon Shizuka came out from behind the door. Her expression immediately became that of elation.

"Princess Anzu! Welcome back!" Shizuka said, giving Anzu a big hug. The others stood in shock at what they had just heard, especially Prince Yugi.

"Princess?" Yugi asked in astonishment, "W-wait! Anzu… you're a princess?!"

Anzu looked toward the younger prince, her expression becoming serious. "Yes, and I think it's time for a more proper introduction. I am Princess Anzu, daughter of Setna, Pharaoh of the Delta kingdom."

Jonouchi and Honda were gawking at this sudden revelation. "No way… You're a member of royalty too?!" Jonouchi said. "Whoa, and I thought the knowledge of Atem's blindness was a shocker!"

"Well, you don't exactly look like a princess to me." Seth said bluntly.

"That's exactly what I want most foreigners to think Seth." Anzu explained, "Here, I am known as the Dancing Explorer, because I travel to unknown places in the guise of a dancer. In every expedition, I meet up with foreigners like yourselves who know nothing about the Delta, or of the royal family that rules it. Once I fully explore a certain place, I draw it all out in order to add that place to the map. From there, ambassadors will be able to travel to such places to form trade routes and make allies. Prince Atem, Prince Yugi, your kingdom was a part of my most recent expedition. I'm sorry if I didn't explain all of this to you earlier, but I had to hide my true identity in my travels, just in case I go into hostile territory."

There was silence, before Atem smiled. "That's all right Anzu." he said, "Under many circumstances, your actions make perfect sense." Yugi, on the other hand, could only stare at Anzu in wonder. Somehow, the revelation made him even more attracted to her than ever before. Could it be that he is growing fond of her, as something more than a friend? The very thought of it makes him blush even more furiously.

"Eh, Yugi?" Honda said, "What's up? Your cheeks are turning pink."

Yugi snapped out of his trance, and he grew embarrassed. "Oh! Oh, nothing Honda, it's nothing!"

"Riiight." Atem said, listening to his twin brother's every stuttering word with a mischievous smirk.

"Oh, I see you've brought some guests Anzu!" Shizuka said cheerfully. "Hello there, my name is Shizuka."

"I already know that Sis!" Jonouchi said, taking the basket weaver by surprise.

"Jonouchi? Is that you?" She stared at her big brother for a moment, and he nodded.

"It's great to see you again Shizuka." He said warmly. Shizuka was all smiles then and she immediately gave a big hug.

"Jonouchi! It's so wonderful that you came to visit! Welcome to the kingdom at the river's delta!" she said and she turned toward the rest of the group, "Come inside and make yourselves at home. You must be tired after such a long journey."

Inside, the travelers rested comfortably in their couches. Soon Shizuka came carrying a handmade basket full of fresh fruits. "Here you go," she said, "Help yourselves to a bite to eat."

"Gee thanks Sis!" Jonouchi said, "After all that traveling I was starting to get really hungry!

"Hang on Jonouchi!" Honda said, pushing him back to his seat with one arm, "Let the twins get first dibs. They're both princes after all." Atem reached out to feel the fruit in front of him, his fingers carefully navigating over every surface. Shizuka took notice of this, as she did with Atem's milky-veiled eyes.

"Oh, you're actually blind?" she said rather cheerfully, "Well, you're not alone. I almost got blind too."

"So I heard." Atem said politely, "You're lucky you still have your sense of sight in spite of all that."

"Well, to be honest, it was that close call that led me into the business of basket weaving in the first place." Shizuka replied, "Anyway, I'm sure you'd want to know what I look like. Go ahead and touch me, I don't mind." And so, the Blind Prince did exactly that and sank in everything that he felt, quickly withdrawing once he was done. The basket weaver then turned toward the dancer princess, saying, "By the way Anzu, I saw your older sister and she said hi."

"Nimea was here?" Anzu gasped, gaining the curiosity of the group.

"Anzu, I didn't know you had a sister." Atem said in astonishment.

"Nimea's actually my twin, believe it or not, and here she is known as the Daring Huntress for her reputation for hunting down terrible creatures and finding treasure that is hard to find, or even hard to get." Anzu explained.

"That sounds amazing!" Atem said, "Can I meet her?"

Shizuka gave a saddened look, "I'm afraid you can't at the moment." Everyone became concerned at the worried tone in her voice

"Why not?" Seth asked.

"She came back from her latest mission with the black lion," she explained, "but two days after the banquet she set off yet again. Has any of you heard of the Siren's Pearl?"

"No, not really." Honda admitted.

"It is a large pearl with the power to grant a single wish to those who find it. Nimea had set out on a journey to the Great Sargasso Sea in order to find that pearl. It's been almost a week since she left, and she still hasn't come back."

"Have you asked anyone about it?" Anzu asked.

"Yes," Shizuka replied, "I've asked everyone! The farmers, the fishermen, the shopkeepers, anyone you can think of! But there is still no news of Princess Nimea. I don't know how long it's going to be like this!" Suddenly, at that very moment, the sound of a trumpet broke the peaceful morning silence. It was a slow tone, as if some disaster had occurred. It was not long before another sound followed: the worried voices of the waking population. Atem, having heard all this with his keen ears, was the first to spring up from his seat.

"Something's not right!" he said, "Shizuka, do you have any peasant's clothes?"

"Uh, sure. Why do you ask?" Shizuka asked.

"Yugi, Seth," Atem said, "we need to put on some disguises. We don't want to attract any more attention than Princess Anzu would receive." Yugi and Seth quickly understood, and soon, the three of them donned some peasant's clothing on top of their own. Atem even went as far as to hide his gold pendant from under the worn out cloth, keeping it safe and secure. Once that was done, the group went out into the streets where a large crowd had gathered. They are just as worried as they sound.

"Hey!" Jonouchi called out, "What's going on over here?" At first, no one stopped to answer. But soon, one of the villagers saw Princess Anzu nearby.

"Look!" the villager shouted, "It's the Dancing Explorer! She has returned!" The whole crowd looked and saw that indeed, there she was. Soon they all flocked over to her and her friends. "Thank the desert gods you came back, Princess!" they cried, "Something awful has just happened!"

"Calm down everyone!" Anzu said calmly, "Tell me what's wrong! What just happened?" Slowly, the crowd grew silent, until finally and old man hobbled forward.

"I can tell you Your Highness." he said in a quiet shaky voice, "I can tell you, and your companions as well. I was by the river near the seashore mending my fishing nets, when your sister's boatman reached land. He was all alone, and he was trembling with so much fright that they had to lift him out of the boat."

"Did he say what happened to the princess?" Atem asked.

"I'm afraid not, my boy. He just stared around him with his mouth open, so he couldn't say a single word. In the end, they had to carry him to the road. In fact, someone in this village put him on a camel and hurried with him back to the palace."

Anzu stared at the old man in shock, for she could not believe what she was hearing. Soon the tears were beginning to flow down her cheeks. Yugi looked at the Dancing Explorer, and his heart broke at the very sight of it. "Oh no… by the gods of the desert, my sister must have drowned!" Anzu cried, "Nimea must be dead! I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye!"

"Don't cry, Your Highness," the old man said, "Your older sister isn't dead at all. You see, through word a stranger who appeared in the palace on the day of the banquet, there happens to be a fiendish squid that guards the Siren's Pearl. He must have changed her into some kind of sea creature."

"What is the name of that stranger?" Seth questioned.

"One of the royal kitchen maids said that his name was Dartz, and that he was a nomarch. It's no secret, because servants and nobles alike have talked of nothing but this mysterious nomarch. Some are even suggesting that his story of the Siren's Pearl seemed to have cast a spell over the Daring Huntress." He told the group everything he had heard, and by the time he was finished, the crowd had dispersed, attempting to move on with their lives. Finally, the old man made his own departure, thanking the dancer princess for listening.

"How weird." Shizuka finally said, "I remember seeing another stranger at the palace gates. The royal greyhounds Shu and Tefnut were barking at him like crazy."

"Well, in any case, I need to go back to the palace immediately." Anzu said, "I want my father to know that I'm all right. You guys stay with Shizuka for the moment, okay? I'll see you later." But Anzu barely took a few steps when Yugi went towards her.

"Wait! Let me come with you!" he cried.

"Yugi?" Anzu said in surprise.

"With all that's going on right now, it's not really a good idea to go alone like before." Yugi pleaded, "And besides, I really care about you, whether you're a princess or not. I don't want you see you get hurt like I did with my brother. Please Anzu."

Anzu just stared at him, and found herself blushing. _Amazing!_ she thought, _Who knew he would have such a strong sense of determination! And not only that, it's so sweet of him to escort me home. No one outside the palace has ever done anything like that before._ Her cheeks grew more pink at the thought, but she managed to smile. "Okay. I let you go with me. I'll even introduce you to my father if you like. I'm sure you'd like to meet him sometime."

"Thanks Anzu." Yugi said, returning the smile, "But don't tell him about my royal blood just yet." The Dancing Explorer gave a single nod, and the two of them started making their departure.

"Tell us about the palace when you meet with us again Yugi!" Jonouchi called out.

"Have fun!" Honda said.

"Just be careful, all right?" Atem said.

"I will Atem!" Yugi called out, "I'll see you guys later!" And soon he and Anzu left. As the others started their return trip back to Shizuka's house, Atem began to think to himself. _By the sounds of the crowd, Princess Nimea must be just as important as Princess Anzu. Perhaps I should learn more about her. Shizuka may know a story or two._ He started frowning. _I should also get her to talk about that stranger she met. Could there be a connection to him and that nomarch they call Dartz?_ Indeed, he had more than enough reason to be suspicious.

Note: Atem is about to meet up with some unexpected company in the next chapter! Until next time!


	7. Chapter 7

Note: Whoa, this chapter is finished faster than I expected! Now if only it were as easy with my other work... anyway, as things get worse for the Delta, Atem makes yet another new friend. Who is it? Time to read and find out!

Chapter 7: Shield

Four days had passed since the travelers' arrival at the Delta, and during those four days, everything started to change. It was the night of the fourth day, and Shizuka stepped inside the living quarters of her house, putting down her latest basket. Jonouchi looked up and saw the forlorn look on his sister's face, and he grew concerned. "Hey Shizuka," Jonouchi greeted, "How did your business go this time?"

"Not good." Shizuka replied, "Ever since Princess Nimea disappeared, it's getting even harder to sell my baskets."

"I don't understand." Seth muttered, "Your baskets are wonderful! Why would anyone not want to buy them?"

"It's not that. Almost everyone wants to have at least one of my handmade baskets." Shizuka said, "But now it seems that for some reason they can't buy them! When I tried to get customers, they always gave complaints about some new law that's making them too poor to buy even a single basket."

"You're kidding me!" Honda gasped in shock.

"No I'm not!" Shizuka cried, her tears starting to form, "If this keeps up, I would be forced to shut down my business and wander the streets as a beggar!" Atem, who was sitting at the door facing the beach, couldn't help but frown.

"This is nothing like Anzu described." He said, "She spoke of fishermen singing songs and giving praises as they catch fish. Yet ever since I came, I hear none of that. In the past two days, I heard people out at sea giving cries of horror. Even those cries have become silent today, leaving only the sound of the crashing wave."

"Now that you mention it, Atem," Shizuka said, "The rivers and seas seem to be empty of every fisherman as of recently. This never happened before."

"Clearly, something is going on here." Atem said, and with that, he stood up. Using his sword to guide him, he took a loaf of bread that was baked fresh from the basket weaver's oven. "I'll be at the beach if you need me." Atem said, heading out the door.

"Just be careful out there." Jonouchi said, "After all, this is foreign land." Atem gave a single nod, then went out. The sound of the waves seemed to give a sense of peace for the Blind Prince as he walked. But he knew better.

"By what Shizuka was telling me, things have gotten too quiet since my friends and I arrived." he said to himself, "I wonder… could all of those recent events be connected to each other?" He walked for a while in thought, until finally he grew a bit tired. Using the sound of the waves to aid his echolocation, he located what looked like a large round stone lying by a palm tree, not far away from the view of Shizuka's house. Atem stepped toward the stone, and sat down upon it for a rest. "Where's Yugi when you need him?" he asked himself as he broke the bread, "Surely, after spending so much time at the palace with Princess Anzu, he must know what's going on."

"Uh, hello!" a seemingly childish voice spoke out suddenly, grabbing Atem's attention.

"Huh? Who's there?" Atem called out, sensing immediately that he was not alone.

"Before you ask any more questions," the voice said, "Please get off of my back, will you?" At first, the Blind Prince was confused, but then he quickly realized what was going on: the voice he heard was coming from right beneath him! He was so surprised by the fact that he jumped off immediately. "Uuugh!" the voice groaned. Quickly, Atem ran his fingers over the stone he was sitting on. There were several large bumps, and as he went downward, he soon felt a large flipper. And as his supernatural senses told him, the object was a deep sea green. All this information immediately came together like pieces of a puzzle. The 'stone' he just sat on wasn't a stone at all: it was a large sea turtle!

"By the gods of the desert!" he gasped, "Please forgive me! I didn't hurt you, did I?"

The sea turtle gasped for a moment, then muttered, "Nothing's broken, to say the least. But DAMN! Do you know how heavy you are?"

"To be honest, I thought you were a stone. It turns out I didn't read my echolocation thoroughly this time. I'm very sorry."

"Oh don't you worry about it." The sea turtle said, "Just make sure you don't do that again, okay?"

"I'll be more careful in the future." Atem said, right when a loud rumbling noise echoed in his ears. The sea turtle pushed up slightly to look at her armored stomach, and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh great!" she whined, "I'm getting hungry! And all I could find all day were locusts. Locusts! I can't stand the thought of those things in my mouth!" Atem listened with deep pity.

"You can have half of the bread I'm going eat," he said, holding the bread loaf in front of the sea turtle, "It's not much, but it's better than bugs, that's for sure."

The sea turtle happily took the bread loaf and started gobbling it up. "Thank you so much!" she said.

"It was my pleasure." Atem replied, taking a bite out of his bread loaf.

"By the way, I heard you say something about echolocation."

"Oh, that?" Atem said, "It's one of my gifts. For most of my life, they make up for my lack of sight."

"Lack… of sight?" the sea turtle asked in puzzlement, "You mean to say you're blind?"

"Yes." he said, "All I ever see is nothing but thick darkness, even in the daytime." That was when the sea turtle got a good look at Atem's milky-veiled eyes.

"Oh my! You weren't even kidding!" she gasped, "No wonder you mistook me for a rock!"

"If it weren't for your voice, I would have been none the wiser." said Atem, "Now that I think about it, I've never met a talking sea turtle before." He put his hand upon the hard shell, casually navigating his fingers over it. "You know," he said, "the way your shell is shaped? It reminds me of a shield. And from what I read about sea turtles, their shells are just as strong as shields."

"In that case," the sea turtle chuckled, "You can call me Shield."

"All right Shield," Atem said with a smile, "My name is Atem."

"Pleasure to meet you!" said the sea turtle, now known as Shield. She munched down the rest of her bread straight to the very last crumb. "So have you been blind like this for most of your life?"

"Mm-hmm," Atem said, "I was like this ever since the day I was born. And it's all thanks to a curse that was laid upon me days before that."

"You are under a curse?" Shield asked in curiosity.

"That's right. In a more basic sense, it was my father's punishment for a crime he committed in his past. He has since learned his lesson and has become a better person." His expression became more sorrowful. "Still, there are often times when I feel this sense of shame deep in my heart, and I think… it's so unfair!"

"Aw, don't be so hard on yourself." Shield reassured, "I mean, think about it. Not very many humans have echolocation like you do. To me, that makes you special, and you should be thankful for that."

The sorrow slowly began to fade, and Atem wiped away the tears that he started shedding. "Thank you Shield. I'll try my best to be thankful for my gifts."

"Oh, it's nothing!" Shield said, "Just doing my best to help!"

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, listening to the peaceful sound of the waves crashing at the beach. "Say Shield, do you mind if I sleep out here with you tonight?" asked Atem, "I find this part of the seashore very relaxing."

"Don't mind at all!" replied Shield happily, "Besides, it does get pretty lonely. I'm happy to have some company around for once." With that, the Blind Prince stood up.

"Okay then! I'll go to my friend's house for a moment, then I'll be right back to join you." And as he started walking back to Shizuka's house, he paused to say, "Oh, and Shield? Thanks again for the time we had tonight. Perhaps we could spend more time tomorrow."

"Oh definitely!" Shield said in excitement, "I'll look forward to it!" And with that, Atem went to tell his friends that he was going to spend the night at the beach.

Note: I bet you didn't expect him to make friends with a sea turtle, did you? So why are things going wrong in the delta? The answers lie in the next chapter! Until next time!


	8. Chapter 8

Note: Hi Peeps! Now you will learn about the source of all those problems. By the way, there's another character who's going to get an introduction. So without further ado, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 8: The Crisis Revealed

Morning came, but the silence was soon interrupted by the sound of a trumpet. Shizuka and three of her four guests were already awake by this time, and they were startled by the sudden noise. It wasn't long before voices and footsteps began to rise in volume along with that trumpet, and as Jonouchi looked out the window, he saw tons of people gathering in the streets. "Hey, what's up with the crowd this time?" he wondered aloud.

"Let me see!" Honda yelled as he shoved himself by his friend to take a look. His eyes widened in astonishment at the sight. "Whoa, hello! We've got ourselves a stampede!"

As the two of them stared out the window, Seth shoved both of them out of the way so that he could get a better view. "Hn, no kidding. And by the looks of it, they're all heading to the palace."

"They are?!" Shizuka gasped, "Oh my goodness! Pharaoh Setna must have some kind of proclamation to speak of! C'mon, we need to go!"

"Go where?" Jonouchi asked, "To the palace?"

"Yes! We have to hurry and see Yugi and Anzu before it gets too crowded!" And with that Shizuka began rushing to get ready.

"Yugi?! Anzu?!" Honda shouted, "Aw man, I almost forgot about them!" He too started rushing about.

"Hey! What about Atem?" Jonouchi said, "He needs to come too!"

"Quit barking Mutt, I'll go get him." Seth calmly stated, earning a growl from the sandy blonde. "And since you're in such a rush anyway, you three go on without us. Atem and I will catch up with you as soon as we can."

"But Seth," Shizuka protested, "none of you know about this place! How can you reach us without getting lost among the crowd."

"We'll find a guide to help us out. No stop whining and get going!" Before any more protests could be made, Seth rushed to the beach to retrieve Atem, leaving no time for the other three to follow.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the beach, Atem was awakened by the sound of the very same trumpet. "Oh damn it!" he growled, "That was uncalled for! I was just having a sweet dream too!"

Shield let out an equally frustrating sigh. "I have to agree with you on that one Atem. If that's not a rude awakening, I don't know what is!"

"Prince Atem!" called out a very familiar voice. The Blind Prince quickly turned his head in the direction of that voice the moment he heard it. Sure enough, Seth was running towards him. "Prince Atem, I figured you'd be somewhere close to Shizuka's house! We need to get to the Delta palace, right now!" Shield stared at Atem in utter shock.

"Atem…" she gasped, startling Seth in the process, "You… You're actually a prince?!"

"What the heck?!" Seth shouted with equal shock, "Sea turtles can't talk! What are you?"

"Calm down Seth," Atem said, "This sea turtle happens to be a new friend." He turned in Shield's direction and said, "Shield, this is Seth, my cousin. He is the High Priest of my royal family, and yes, I am a prince. More properly, I am Prince Atem, firstborn son of Pharaoh Akunumkanon."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Shield gasped in a soft tone.

"You didn't ask." Atem simply replied. "I'm just sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Oh! That's all right!" Shield said, recovering from her shock, "I was just so overwhelmed! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else if you don't want me to."

Atem smiled. "Thank you Shield."

"All right, enough chit chat!" Seth said impatiently, "We need to get going! A crowd has already started gathering, and your other friends have already left! We don't want to fall any farther behind!"

"But you don't know anything about this place!" Atem responded, standing up quickly, "How can you possibly lead me to the palace without getting us lost?"

"I'll find us a guide to take us there!" Seth growled.

"And where exactly can you find such a guide?" Atem asked, growing a little angry with his cousin. There was a rather uncomfortable silence, for as it turns out Seth honestly had no idea.

"That's easily arranged." Shield said, breaking the silence. The two cousins turned their attention toward the sea turtle in astonishment.

"What do you mean?" Seth asked.

"I happen to know the way to the palace myself, so I could guide you."

"Really?" Atem said, "That's so kind of you!"

"No problem!" Shield said, "Now listen carefully, there's a small hole near the front of my shell. Just tie a piece of string and hold on to it like you would a leash. But mind you, we won't travel as fast as you want to."

"I was afraid you'd say that…" grumbled Seth, his hand slapping upon his forehead. But much to his dismay, they have no choice. With all the other villagers rushing, it's unlikely they would stop just to guide them.

* * *

It was a rather slow trip indeed, as Atem and Seth traveled the road under Shield's guidance, keeping well to the side to avoid being trampled. As Seth looked around, he noticed that several people stopped are stared at them. How curious it is to witness a sea turtle leading two young men like a dog on a leash! To him of course, it was amusing and embarrassing all at the same time. Suddenly a young woman among the rushing crowd accidentally tripped over a fallen basket and fell unceremoniously onto the ground. She yelled out in pain, and Seth, seeing her in trouble, ran up to her in a flash. "Miss? Miss?" he said when he reached her, "Are you all right?"

"Aaah, I think I twisted my ankle!" the young woman cried, and when she tried to stand up, she let out another yell, and fell into Seth's arms.

"Take it easy, okay?" said the High Priest as he gently laid her on a sitting position and examined her ankle. "Hmm, it's a bit swollen, but it's not broken. If you're going to the palace, let me take you there with me."

"A-are you sure?" the young woman said, "You don't have to do this."

"I know." Seth replied, picking the young woman up in his arms, making her blush on the spot.

"T-thank you." She said shyly. So Seth rejoined his blind cousin, carrying the young woman with him. Atem couldn't help but smirk to himself, for not only did Shield witness the whole thing, his echolocation allowed him to sense it.

"You can be quite a gentleman Seth." Atem muttered in a sly tone.

"Oh shut up." Seth said in annoyance. But somehow, he too found himself blushing. For as they made the rest of their way to the palace, he got a good look at the young woman he was carrying. She was obviously a poor peasant, by the look of her worn out dirt-stained Egyptian style clothes, but oh what radiant beauty she has! Her skin was very pale, but it was the healthy kind of pale, much like new cream. Her long hair was an azure-white color, and her eyes were a very deep blue. Needless to say, Seth found himself enchanted. And likewise, the young woman stared at him with the same wonder. Finally, Seth spoke again. "So… Miss, could you tell me your name?"

The young woman blushed, and lowering her head shyly, she replied, "Kisara. My name is Kisara."

"Kisara…" Seth repeated, and then he smiled. "That's really pretty." This made the young woman, Kisara, blush even deeper. Gently Seth lifted her chin. "We're almost there. Do you think you can walk from here?" Kisara blinked once, then nodded. Carefully, the High Priest set her down, and although she limped a bit, she was able to walk just fine. By now, Jonouchi, Honda and Shizuka were within sight nearby the palace. And with them was Yugi and Anzu!

"Atem! You made it!" Yugi shouted above the crowd.

"Well, it's about time you guys showed up!" Jonouchi said, "I was starting to get worried!"

"Well, you don't have to worry anymore Jonouchi." Atem said calmly, "We're here."

"Oooo, looks like the High Priest managed to find himself a girlfriend!" Jonouchi chuckled upon seeing Seth with Kisara.

"Shut up Mutt!" Seth grumbled, blushing even as Jonouchi growled in anger.

"Hey, what's up with the turtle?" Honda asked in curiosity.

Princess Anzu also grew curious when she noticed Shield leading the Blind Prince. "Yeah, is that a new pet you managed to get? It's so cute!"

"She's not exactly a pet as she is a friend." Atem replied, bending down to pet the sea turtle's shell. "Her name is Shield."

"Well, nice to meet you Shield!" Shizuka said happily. Shield simply nodded in greeting.

"Anyway," Atem said standing up, "Yugi, Anzu, I heard the footsteps of many people rushing to get there. What is the reason for all of this?"

Yugi became serious toward his elder brother gaining everyone's attention. "Well, Atem, have you noticed what's going on out here while you and the others were with Shizuka?"

"I have." Atem replied, "From what I've heard, the sea and the river have recently become devoid of fishermen."

"And not only that," Jonouchi added, "Many people are becoming very poor for some reason. Shizuka's having a hard time selling her baskets nowadays. She says it's because of some kind of new law. Heck, even I don't know what it was."

"I know all about that law." Anzu said, "My father is the one who made it."

"Your father?!" Honda gasped in shock.

"But why?" Atem asked, "Why would he make a law that would cause much suffering? What was that law anyway?"

Yugi and Anzu looked at each other and nodded, then turned to face their friends. "Pharaoh Setna didn't mean to do any harm." Yugi explained, "Something happened at the palace five days ago and well, it's a long story."

"Please tell us." Kisara begged, "I'd like to know myself."

"Yes Yugi," Atem said, "Tell us all about it."

"Okay." Yugi said, "It all started late in the afternoon…"

**Pharaoh Setna, Princess Anzu and Yugi were all sitting at the table waiting for their lunch. "Anzu," Setna said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder, "I'm so glad that you made it back from your journey safe and sound. Thank you again for sending me the letter about your homecoming ahead of time."**

"**Aw Daddy, it's nothing!" Anzu said cheerfully, "You know I don't want you to worry for long."**

**Setna smiled and turned toward Yugi. "And you, Yugi, I am pleased that you have decided to stay for lunch. It's not everyday that my daughter brings guests from the very source of her recent expedition; such guests usually come later after diplomatic ties are made."**

"**It's an honor to be in your presence Your Majesty." Yugi said politely.**

"**I also heard from Anzu that you have some other companions that came with you as well." Setna said, "Is that true?"**

"**Yep," Yugi said, "One of them happens to be my older brother. We're actually twins, to be exact."**

"**Well, what a coincidence!" Setna said, "I know you've found out already, but Nimea and Anzu happen to be twins too!" the Pharaoh soon grew sad. "I'm sorry Nimea's not here to meet you too. She would have been delighted." Yugi nodded, and he turned towards Anzu, who was sitting right by him.**

"**Anzu?" Yugi said, "You miss your sister, don't you?"**

"**Yeah," Anzu said, "Usually, when she's finished with a quest before I finish my expeditions, she waits for me to come home so she can spend time with me before she goes on the next quest. And now that she's gone missing… it just isn't going to be the same."**

**Yugi took hold of Anzu's hand, and said, "Don't worry Anzu. Someone will bring her back, and everything's going to be all right." This made Anzu smile a bit. **

"**You're right. Thank you Yugi." She said, "In any case, you're in for a big treat today. Our lunch is going to be Nile perch, fresh from the river! It's literally the 'catch of the day' special!"**

"**Mmm! I can hardly wait!" Yugi said, licking his lips. Just then, the kitchen maid, Mana rushed into the royal dining table with a desperate look on her face.**

"**Ah Mana!" Setna said, "There you are! I've been waiting for your arri--"**

"**Your Majesty! Princess Anzu!" Mana gasped, "Something weird just happened in the kitchen!"**

"**You can tell us about it later." Anzu said, "How's the fish doing? I'm sure it's ready to serve by now."**

"**But Anzu, that's the reason I came here to tell you!" shrieked Mana in utter panic, "The cooks and I caught the fish from the river with the help of one of the fishermen, and we brought it straight to the kitchen just like you asked. But just when the cooks and I were about to cut it up, it started screaming-- with a human voice! And it talked! It talked just like a human would! We were all so shocked that we immediately put it in a jar filled with water from the river!"**

**All three of the guests stared at her with incredible disbelief. "What was that you just said? A talking fish?" Setna said, "Mana, I think you need some rest. There's no way that a fish is capable of human speech."**

"**I'm not lying!" Mana cried, "That fish really did talk! Come with me and I'll prove it!" With that, she grabbed hold of Yugi and Anzu by the hands and dragged them out of the dining room. Setna followed, and soon the four of them reached the royal kitchens. There, in the corner, was a large jar filled with water, and inside was a fish, swimming with great speed out of even greater fear.**

**Upon seeing the Pharaoh, the Dancing Explorer, and their guest, the fish stopped, poked its head out of the water, and then to everyone's astonishment, it begged, "AAAAH! Y-Y-Your Majesty! Please don't! I beg you! Please don't eat me!"**

"**Mana!" Setna gasped, "How is this possible?"**

"**I don't know!" Mana said.**

**Anzu stared at the fish, then let out a sudden gasp. "Wait a second!" She went over to the fish and said, "It's all right, we're not going to eat you. How is it that you were able to talk when no other fish is able to do the same?"**

**The fish sniffled and replied, "You don't get it, do you? I'm not really a fish. I wasn't even born a fish!"**

**Everyone gasped in shock and Anzu said, "You mean to say that you're actually a human?"**

"**Yes." Replied the shuddering fish, "I heard about the legendary Siren's Pearl and of its ability to grant a wish to anyone who finds it. I wanted riches so that my family would no longer go hungry, so I went down to the Great Sargasso Sea to get it. But when I reached the cave where that oyster was resting… Oh gods of the desert, that's when **_**he**_** came!"**

"**What? Who came?"**

"**The fiendish squid! It was horrible! The tentacles! Those eyes! I've never seen anything so terrifying in my entire life!" By now, the fish was cowering like never before, and with a cry it poked its head back in the water, giving no more information. Mana gasped as she stared at the fish.**

"**Oh my!" she said, "I should have thought of this before!" **

"**Thought of what?" Setna asked, growing worried.**

"**The nomarch Dartz said that there was a fiendish squid that has the power to slowly drain his victim's courage. Then he captures them and changes them into any form of sea creature he chooses!"**

"**That's what Anzu and I heard when we got here!" Yugi gasped. Setna stood silent, sinking in everything he had heard. **

"**So that's what happened to all the treasure hunters that came before Nimea!" he said, "This fish… this is one of the missing treasure hunters! And now my eldest daughter is in the ocean among them!"**

"**What are we going to do Daddy?" Anzu said, "Since my sister and all the other treasure hunters are in the form of random sea creatures, there's a risk that they'll get caught and eaten without anyone even realizing it!"**

**Pharaoh Setna's expression became grim. "There's only one way to keep that from happening any further, if it has happened at all. The risks are great, but it has to be done."**

"…And so, at once, Pharaoh Setna made this law: Until the Daring Huntress and all the other treasure hunters are found, anyone who fishes in the river and the sea must have their fish go through an extremely intense inspection process before it is allowed to go on the market."

That was when Anzu spoke up to add to Yugi's explanation. "Many people in this kingdom had friends and family who are among the treasure hunters who went after the Siren's Pearl. From what I heard, they knew about the squid and of the spell it casts on his victims, so they were extremely worried that such loved ones would be caught by fishermen, killed and eaten without anyone noticing. So when that law was made, it must have been such a relief for those families."

Kisara grew sad at the Dancing Explorer's explanation. "I know exactly what you are talking about Your Highness. My own father was among those who went after the Siren's Pearl before your sister. He's been missing for months now, and I worry about him constantly, for he's the only family I have left. And the thought of him being on someone's platter… it makes me cringe. I'm so glad that law was made. That is a great weight taken off of my shoulders."

"Of course, not everyone is happy about that law." Yugi said.

"Let me guess." Jonouchi said, "The fishermen, right?"

"That's right. Wen they learned about the new regulations, the fishermen were dismayed. Some couldn't stand the lengthy full-day process of the inspection, but many other fishermen became horrified at the possibility of unknowingly catching someone else's loved one and the thought of having it killed for meat. Either way, all the fishermen eventually stopped fishing altogether. As I have learned, the delta kingdom thrives on fishing more than anything else, so with the sudden shortage of fish, this law is proving to be devastating on the economy."

"I guess it's no surprise that many people are getting angry." Honda muttered.

"Is this why all of those crowds are gathering at the palace?" Atem asked.

"No." Yugi said, "It's because Pharaoh Setna has just made a proclamation promising a great reward for the safe return of Princess Nimea and of the other victims."

"A reward?" Seth said, "What kind of reward?"

"You'll find out when we get to the palace." Anzu said, "Right now, let's get inside. Since Pharaoh Setna is my father, I'll make sure you'll get the best seats in the courtyard."

"I think it's a great idea." Atem said, "And besides, I sure would like to meet Pharaoh Setna myself." Shield let out an exhausted sigh before she started to move again.

As everyone headed toward the palace, Kisara looked at Seth worriedly. "Don't worry." Seth said, "I'll ask the princess to save a seat for you too." The earned a smile from the young peasant girl, who gave the High Priest a hug. Together, they hurried onward to join their companions.

Note: Some more familiar faces will make their entrance starting in the next chapter. Until next time!


	9. Chapter 9

Note: Finished with the next chapter! I'm so excited! So without further ado, here it is!

Chapter 9: Knight of Swords

Upon entering the palace, Atem, Yugi, and their companions found that the courtyard was already crowded. Luckily for them, Princess Anzu was among the group, so they had a much easier time navigating to the center; the people who made up the crowd knew her well and loved her very much, so they parted just for her and her friends. Still, in spite of this generous consideration…

"Atem," Shield grumbled quietly, "I can't see a thing down here. All I could see is nothing but feet, and I've been stepped on twice already!"

"Be patient Shield," Atem whispered, "As soon as we get to the center, I'll ask Jonouchi and Honda to lift you up on some flat spot nearby so you can see easily over people's heads."

"You truly are a generous human." Shield replied joyfully, "Thank you."

Finally the group reached the center of the courtyard, with its gardens of lotus flowers. Sitting in the shade among the other nobles was Pharaoh Setna himself. "Anzu!" he called out, "You made it! And just in time too, I was ready to state my proclamation!"

"Long life and health to you! It's a pleasure to see you again, Your Majesty." Yugi spoke, even as Anzu ran ahead of him.

"Ah, Yugi!" Setna said, "Welcome back. I see that you've brought your companions with you this time." Jonouchi and Honda bowed respectfully, once again feeling nervous about meeting royalty. The Pharaoh's eyes soon shifted to Atem, who, like Yugi, was dressed in his peasant clothes. "So you must be Yugi's twin brother. Atem… is that correct?"

"Yes sir." The Blind Prince replied, bowing his head for a brief moment, "It is an honor to meet you."

"Your eyes…" Setna said, "Are you… blind?"

"Yes, I am." Atem confirmed. "Unlike Yugi, I was born this way. It's all thanks to a curse placed upon me by the Mother Goddess to punish my father for his misdeeds in the past."

"Oh, I see. I am very sorry for your loss." Setna said kindly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Rest assured, I'm sure your companions would help you get an idea as to what is going on. In the meantime, go ahead and touch my face. I'm sure you want to know what I look like."

"Are you sure?" Atem asked. "Thank you Your Majesty!" With that, Atem didn't hesitate to let his fingers travel across the Pharaoh's face. Once he took in all the information, he withdrew and went over to join his friends. "Jonouchi, Honda?" he said, "Do you mind if you get Shield onto someplace high? She'd like to get a good view."

"Uhh come again?" Jonouchi said in confusion. Honda, on the other hand, just stared at his friend in equal confusion. That's when Shield shuffled forward.

"Just take me up where I can see, okay?" Shield whispered. Jonouchi and Honda looked at each other in surprise, then back at Shield.

"Uh, sure thing!" Jonouchi replied awkwardly.

"Yeah, whatever you say!" Honda said, and soon both of them bent down to pick her up.

"Oh, did I mention that she can talk?" Atem whispered with a hint of amusement on his face.

"Really?" Honda said sarcastically, "You could have told us!" The two friends hurried over to place her upon a flat surface where Shield could see. Once that was done, Atem, Jonouchi and Honda went over to join the rest of their companions as they took the best seats. From there, they saw how some people tried to get as close to the circle as possible.

At last, the time came, and Pharaoh Setna raised his hand. "Silence! Silence everyone!" he shouted over the crowd. Soon everyone grew quiet, eager to listen to what their Pharaoh would say. "Listen well! I have gathered you all here today to proclaim a great promise unto you. The one who can bring back the Siren's Pearl and make a wish, in my presence, for the Daring Huntress, Princess Nimea, and all the victims before her to be restored to their natural shapes shall be rewarded with vast riches. They will be given half of my entire kingdom, with twelve silos of grain. Also, if the one who gets the Siren's Pearl is a young man, he will earn the chance to win Nimea's heart and her hand in marriage." Many young men started to grin, talking amongst themselves about the big chance to win the love of the Daring Huntress. "Either way," continued Setna, "those of you who wish to try this quest must first prove their courage before me, for it will take a great deal of courage to face the fiendish squid that guards the Siren's Pearl. Those who succeed will be given a bottle of Sargasso tea and a boat for the journey. Now the moment is at hand. Who among you is courageous enough to take part in this quest? Step forward before me now, and prove your courage to me."

All the while, the people whispered to each other that the Pharaoh was indeed offering a marvelous prize. But many of them were unsure of themselves. It takes tremendous amounts of courage indeed, since the fiendish squid has the ability to drain away a victim's courage. Finally, among the whispering voices of the crowd, one voice spoke up: "I will go first!" And soon after, a young man stepped forward from among the crowd. He had green eyes and long black hair tied in a ponytail, and a red headband was upon his forehead. He wore an Egyptian style kilt, and a shining breastplate of bronze scale mail, the clothes of a proud soldier, and in his right hand he held an elaborate spear. He bent down on one knee and bowed to the Pharaoh.

"State your name, warrior." Setna commanded.

"I am Otogi," said the young man, rising to his feet, "I have traveled from a distant land in hopes of winning the love of Princess Nimea, in hopes of earning her hand in marriage. I will retrieve the Siren's Pearl to rescue her and the treasure hunters before her."

"And what makes you feel that you are brave enough to do this dangerous task?" Setna asked.

"Long life and health to you, Your Majesty." Otogi replied, "Any of your soldiers can fight with one weapon,"—he held up his spear, twirling it around a bit—"but **I** can fight using two weapons at once, one on each hand in fact!" Otogi drew out a sword with a blade curved like a hook, a khopesh to be exact, and he flung it into the air, letting it spin before he caught it by the hilt with his left hand.

"YIEEE!" shouted Jonouchi, seeing the hooked blade pointing towards him.

"Hey, it's not like I'm gonna stab you or anything. Sheesh!" Otogi said.

"Very impressive, if I say so myself." Seth said with a smirk.

"Ha! If you think **that's** good," Otogi continued, "then watch **this**!" He lifted his left arm to reveal what appears to be a round leather shield. In the center was a button the size of a man's fist, shaped just like a hemisphere of a steel ball. Otogi slammed his right fist onto the button, and in an instant four equally sharp blades sprang up from under it and began spinning like they were part of a shuriken. "Now Your Majesty," Otogi said to Pharaoh Setna, "in order to test my skills, send ten of your strongest guards. Let them try and overcome me, if they can."

"Very well, I shall!" Setna said, "Guards! Attack!" And immediately ten powerful warriors stepped up to test their strength against the soldier.

Otogi sprang at once into the center of the group, flipping in midair before landing into his fighting stance. In his hands, the spear, khopesh, and the whirling blades on his shield all slashed the air in almost every direction at once. The guards were so startled that the only thing they could do was block his attacks with their own tall shields. Soon, however, they were forced to flee from the fight.

"Not bad." Seth said, stepping forward, "But let's make it a little bit harder for you." And with that said, Seth clapped his hands once before a ball of light appeared in between his hands.

"Wow!" Kisara gasped in awe, "That's amazing!"

"Thank you." Replied Seth, "I happen to be a priest in service to the desert gods. Now as I was saying…" at once, he flung the ball of light around Otogi, and before anyone could react, ten more soldiers appeared, all of them made of stone.

"No way!" Yugi whispered to his brother, "Those are the very same stone soldiers that **you** would practice on!"

"I know!" Atem whispered back, "I can sense them with my echolocation!"

"As you can see Otogi," Seth explained, "I created these stone soldiers to make them twice as powerful as the guards you just fought—and twice as intimidating. Let's see how well you stand up against **these** guys. ATTACK!" And immediately the stone soldiers obeyed their master's command and lunged toward the proud, blade-wielding soldier. Although Otogi indeed found them intimidating, he managed to stand his ground. He blocked the attack of one stone soldier with his bladed shield, and dispatched it in a counterattack using the very same blades. Once again, the spear, the khopesh, and the blades on his shield slashed in almost every direction at once. This time, however, the weapons were truly put to the test. On and on the test battle raged, and one by one, the stone soldiers fell as a pile of rubble. Finally Otogi slashed the last stone soldier to several pieces. The rubble vanished into thin air, and Otogi put away his spear to wipe the sweat off his brow.

"You see." Otogi panted to Setna, "Your Majesty's men and the priest's stone attackers each had twenty arms altogether. The fiendish squid has only **eight**, but that is the only difference. What these two have in common is that they have a way of intimidating their enemies to the point of bringing fear into their hearts. But as long as my weapons are at my side, I have nothing to fear. Let the fiendish squid try and drain **my** courage, if he can."

Pharaoh Setna smirked. "Young man, I am truly impressed by your skill and courage. Anzu, send for Siamun at once."

"Yes Daddy." said Princess Anzu and ran off to summon Siamun. She didn't have to go very far though, for the old advisor was rushing toward the courtyard from the hallway close by. "Siamun! You came at the right time! Daddy wants to talk to you."

"Oh he does, eh?" Siamun said and together with the Dancing Explorer, he went over to the Pharaoh.

"Siamun," Setna said, "I want you to give this young man a bottle of Sargasso tea, for he has volunteered to retrieve the Siren's Pearl."

"As you wish Your Majesty." Siamun said and was about to leave when Setna stopped him.

"However," the Pharaoh continued, "I don't want you to brew the tea just yet. Bid him wait until we get more volunteers, and see what they can do." When Siamun took a seat, Setna once more faced the crowd. "Is there anyone else among you who feels that they are brave enough to take part in this quest?" Again, there was silence within the crowd. It lasted for a moment, until finally, just as Setna was about to speak again, a new voice beat him to it.

"Oh don't get so quiet on me!" the smooth feminine voice said, "Let me get a shot at this quest!" The voice was followed by the roar of several beasts, and all turned their heads as a figure began to step forward out of the crowd. The figure turned out to be a woman, and when Jonouchi laid eyes on her, well, let's just say that she took his breath away.

Note: I bet you know who that is huh? She'll be showing off her skills in the next chapter! Until next time!


	10. Chapter 10

Note: Hi! I got yet another chapter up! To those of you who thought that Mai was gonna be in this chapter, you're absolutely right! And you're not gonna believe what she can do! So enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 10: Roar of the Lioness

The woman standing before the Pharaoh had a thin, if rather voluptuous build. Long blonde hair, almost like rays of sunshine, cascaded all the way down to her hips, and deep violet eyes shone in an almost flirtatious manner. She was clad in leather straps of dark violet, wrapping around her lovely body in such a way that it gave the appearance of a bikini, and two more straps of leather wrapped around each of her thighs and biceps, her shoulders left bare. Unlike most people, she wore sandals with stiletto heels, and straps wrapped around her forelegs reaching up to her knees, quite like footwear worn by the Greek Amazons. In her hand was a long whip, which she casually rested upon her shoulder. Even as she tugged on the other end of the whip, her ruby red lips curled into a flirtatious smile. Jonouchi stared at the woman with awe, and now, like Seth with Kisara, he too found himself blushing. "Whoa!" was all he could say.

Honda did a wolf whistle at the sight of the young woman. "Now THAT is one hot chick!" He looked over at his friend. "Huh? Hey, what's up the pink cheeks Jonouchi?" Jonouchi didn't answer, but continued to stare as the young woman as she came towards Pharaoh Setna.

"Ah, I see we didn't have to wait long for another volunteer. You look like the kind who can match my daughters in combat. State your name young lady." Setna said.

"Oh, long life and health to you Pharaoh, you can just call me Mai." said the young woman casually as she took a small polite bow. "I really appreciate the comment and all, but if I look like a formidable combatant, it's for a very good reason." The minute she finished her sentence, two strong men went forward, pulling a large cage. Inside were what appeared to be five snarling lions. The crowd stared in awe at the sight, even Pharaoh Setna. "As you can already figure out, I'm a lion tamer, and I happen to be the best in the world." Mai explained with a confident smirk. "After all, not many **women** in this land have the guts to take such a profession."

"A lady lion tamer…" Atem muttered to himself, taking in what he had heard, "She really is something."

"And by the looks of it," Yugi said with a mischievous smirk to match his older brother's, "I think Jonouchi is becoming smitten with her." As if he heard the twins' conversation, Jonouchi let out an "Erk!" and blushed even more furiously than ever before. Shizuka could only giggle.

The two strong men carried in five stools and placed it in a large ring that they set up close by. Other assistants went up and set up ladders and an elegant balance beam. "So tell me, what creature could be as dangerous as a fiendish, courage-draining squid? I say it's four lions and a sphinx, yet I can put them under my command with only the sound of my whip. If you don't believe me, then watch closely." And with that, Mai whistled loudly, signaling one of the strong men to unbolt the door of the cage. One by one, the contents of the cage sprang out and crouched, glaring at the crowd. There were indeed four lions, two males and two females each. The final occupant that sprang out had the body of a lion, but it had a pair of wings on its back, and the head of a lovely human woman with long red hair.

"Seth look!" Kisara gasped out, hugging the High Priest from behind, "It's a **sphinx**! A real sphinx!"

"I've heard of such creatures," Seth said, standing his ground, "but I've never imagined that I would actually see one!" Quickly Mai snapped her long whip twice through the air, never touching any of the great cats but making a loud sharp noise that frightened them. In an instant, the four lions, and the sphinx between them, all began to trot around the circle in single file. A third snap of the whip signaled each lion to jump up onto the stools and take a seat. The sphinx again sat between the other four lions, licking her front paw daintily.

"Wow! Did you guys see that?!" Jonouchi shouted excitedly to his friends, "I mean, look at her! She just got all those ferocious man-eating lions to act like they were tiny kittens or something!" That was when the lady lion tamer finally took notice. With a smirk, she stepped toward the sandy blonde.

"You there!" Mai called out, grabbing Jonouchi's attention, and in an instant he found himself blushing yet again. In a rather seductive manner, Mai lifted his head by the chin with the pointing finger on her free hand, so that he was looking directly at her. "You know, for a simple commoner, you're kinda cute!"

"I, uh, thank you?" Jonouchi stuttered, earning a playful chuckle from Mai.

"I'll tell you what," she suggested, "I'll have you take part in my little performance, I mean, if you got the guts that is."

"Of course I got the guts!" Jonouchi quipped.

"Then let's get the show on the road!" Mai exclaimed, dragging sandy blonde to the ring with her. She then turned her direction to the Pharaoh. "Your majesty, in order for you to understand how much courage it takes to do this work, I would like for you and your daughter to stand beside me while I show you my power."

"With pleasure!" Setna said, standing up from his throne. "Anzu, please come with me. And you too Siamun."

As Anzu was about to step forward, Yugi ran up and took hold of her hand. "I'll go to the ring with you."

"Are you sure Yugi?" Anzu asked and he nodded. The Dancing Explorer smiled. "Thank you." Siamun, on the other hand, turned very pale, but the eyes of all the people were upon him, even the eyes of the kitchen maid, Mana. Even more than Pharaoh Setna himself, the old advisor did not want them to suspect that he was scared, so he too stepped forward, trying to look as calm as the others would feel. Once everything was set, the lady lion tamer and her guest performer began to put the lions and the sphinx through their tricks. Mai called them all by name—the lions she called, Geb, Nut, Osiris and Isis, and the sphinx she knew as Teleia. She cracked her whip, and the four great beasts climbed the ladders and walked across the small balance beam with relative ease.

Then Mai gave the whip to an astounded Jonouchi, saying, "Okay, now you give it a try. Just follow my lead and the rest will fall into place." Jonouchi stared at her for a moment, before finally trying out the whip. He barely missed the lions when he made it crack in the air, but they all did their thing, jumping through the hoops. Next, Mai allowed the sandy blonde to mount Teleia the sphinx.

"Uh, Mai," Jonouchi asked, "I heard that sphinxes have the gift of human speech, due to the riddles that made them famous. Does this one have any riddles?"

"Actually, unlike most of her kind, Teleia is rather, how do you say… primitive." Mai replied, "She's actually just learning to talk to tell you the truth."

"Oh." Jonouchi muttered.

"Anyway, let's get on with her little performance shall we?" Mai said, and she cracked her whip. Immediately Teleia took off flying, and Jonouchi held on as she flew through several hoops that were set on fire. But although he expected himself to be afraid, he wasn't. He was actually thrilled with the whole thing. As he rode the sphinx in full speed, Mai couldn't help but smile in admiration. The moment soon came when all five beasts went up and danced on their hind legs. Jonouchi, still on Teleia's back, let out an enthusiastic cheer. Boy was he having the time of his life!

Throughout the whole performance, however, it was plain to see that whenever the lions came where Pharaoh Setna stood, along with Anzu, Yugi and Siamun, they licked their lips hungrily. Their whiskers twitched and their tails lashed from side to side. Teleia even gave a menacing glare as she went past. All this intimidated the Pharaoh, but he stood his ground. Anzu watched Yugi in awe as he eyed the beasts. Unlike his older brother Atem, he knows a lot about being afraid. But even as beads of sweat tricked down his forehead, and his heart was beating quickly, he too stood his ground, and even returned Teleia's glare, for although the need to prove himself was strong, his determination to protect his princess was even stronger. There's no doubt about it; such a display of courage was enough to make Atem proud. Finally one of the lions roared, and soon, all five beasts followed in suit. They roared so loudly that the ground shook, and the five stools shook with it. In fact, poor Siamun shook too. And after the noise died away, Setna, Anzu and Yugi all happened to look at the old advisor. His whole body was trembling like never before. Needless to say, lions definitely weren't his thing. Finally, Anzu found the courage to speak up. "Mai, what is it that's making your lions act that way? It's like they want to eat us or something!"

Teleia strode toward the group, and that was when she finally spoke. "The river and sea, princess. They devoid of fresh meat."

"What exactly does she mean by that?" Setna demanded.

"Oh, that." Mai replied, a hint of annoyance etched on her face, "She's talking about the shortage of **fish** in the Delta."—She pointed her finger at the Pharaoh—"That new law you made is incredibly stupid… or at least it **would** have been stupid under any **other** circumstances—HEY! OSIRIS, DOWN! BAD BOY!" She cracked her whip just in time, for the biggest lion was about to pounce on the Pharaoh and take a mouthful of his shoulder. Of course, that didn't help much with Siamun's nerves, as he was staring wildly about. Thinking quickly, Yugi spied Otogi relaxing under the shade of a palm tree.

"Hey! Otogi, can I have a favor for you!" Yugi called out, "Do you mind standing in front of Siamun for a while?"

"Sure thing." Otogi enthusiastically replied as he stood up, "I'm not afraid of any lions." And so, with the blade soldier between him and the lions, Siamun was at last able to stand without trembling, and help Setna judge the skill and courage of the lady lion tamer. Jonouchi dismounted Teleia before the show continued, and Prince Yugi smiled at his friend.

"That was incredible Jonouchi!" Yugi praised, "You and Mai really made a great team!"

"Thanks Yugi." Jonouchi said, "I never imagined that it would be so much fun! And Mai… she was incredible! To be able to handle all those lions, and that sphinx, without even breaking a sweat! And she's gorgeous too! Her smile, the way she moves her body…"

Yugi smirked. "You're smitten with her, aren't you?"

Jonouchi jerked in response, blushing furiously. "Wha—No way! I mean—I'm just…"

"Nice try, but it's not gonna work." Yugi said.

"Okay, you got me! I'm in love with her." Jonouchi said, then he leaned over to whisper, "I bet you feel the same way about Princess Anzu."

Now it was Yugi's turn to blush. "You just had to say it to me, didn't you?" Even Atem was smirking, for through Shield the sea turtle and his echolocation, he perceived the whole thing. And Shield, understanding what was going on, couldn't help but giggle quietly at the sight, much to the chagrin of the younger prince.

At last, the whole performance was over. Setna declared, "Well done Mai, you and Otogi have proved that you have tremendous courage. Otogi shall go first to try to restore the unfortunate victims of the squid, including Princess Nimea. If he should fail, you shall go next." There was a loud cheer from the crowd as the pharaoh gave his decision.

"I can only hope that one of them makes it." Atem said. Then suddenly, he heard loud angry voices at the edge of the crowd. I seemed that Princess Anzu heard it too.

"Daddy, look!" she shouted, and Setna looked in the direction she was pointing, grabbing the attention of the crowd. To everyone's astonishment, three of the Pharaoh's guards were struggling to hold back a young man who was trying to force his way into the ring.

"What the?" Setna shouted, "Who is that man? Bring him over here!"

Note: Cliffhanger! Now who could that be? Find out in the next chapter! Until next time!


	11. Chapter 11

Note: I'm finished with this new chapter! Now some of you suspected that this next character was Bakura. Well, you're close enough. And for fantasia-49, I must mention this: I'm a fan of both Yugi/Anzu AND Atem/Anzu. I want both Atem and Yugi to have Anzu, so for Atem, I made a Yami for Anzu: and that Yami is none other than Nimea! This is a reason why I made made Anzu and Nimea identical twins in this story as well. Anyway, enjoy the story!

Chapter 11: A Slippery Fellow

When the strange looking young man stepped forward, striding between the guards, the whole crowd burst into laughter. They had very good reason to do so. He was pale, very pale. And his hair was spiky and stark white, though his amber brown eyes proved that he was not a real albino. He was dressed in an Egyptian styled kilt, worn out by age and dirt, and he wore a red long-sleeved robe opened up to expose his well-built chest. On his head was a circular band inlaid with semiprecious stones, like garnet and lapis lazuli for example, and in the very center was the visage of a rearing cobra. The sandals on his feet were made of the finest leather and painted in gold. The whole time, he gave a friendly smile, and he went on both knees and bowed. Anzu's eyes widened in shock. "Daddy, isn't that…?"

Before she could speak any further, one of the guards answered, "Yes, Your Highness, that's Ryou, the notorious tomb robber of the desert. The robe he wears was stolen from the long-departed uncle of one of the nobles. The crown belongs to the great grandmother of the general, and the sandals--"

Setna was staring at the gold sandals with amazement… and utter shock. "And those sandals are from my father's tomb!" he thundered, "Of all people what is **he** doing here? I thought he was locked up in the dungeon!"

Ryou stood up with a small giggle. "Ah, with most respect Pharaoh, I **was** locked up in the dungeon. It's just, well, your guards couldn't **keep** me in there. I happen to be one of the slippery kinds, if you know what I mean."

"Hmph, slippery as an eel I reckon." Setna scowled, "Why do you seek my presence?"

"Simple." Ryou replied cheerfully, "I'm here to ask for your permission to try to win the twelve silos of grain and your eldest daughter's hand in marriage by restoring her and the other victims of the squid."

The royal family let out a gasp of shock. "You?" sputtered Siamun, "A tomb robber?"

"Why not?" Ryou asked, "What you want is a man who can steal a pearl from an oyster without waking it, and all in the darkness of the shadows. Who could do better than I could?" As he spoke, he pulled out of his pouch two golden dog collars, one marked _**Shu**_ and the other _**Tefnut**_, in hieroglyphs. Raising them both in the air, he swung them around on the tip of his finger, winking as he did so.

"AAH!" cried Anzu, "How did you get those collars?! You killed the watchdogs, didn't you?!"

"Dear Princess," Ryou said politely, "I did no such thing. If you don't believe me, look for yourself." That was when he put his two fingers between his lips and whistled. In no time flat, Shu and Tefnut came bounding into the ring, jumping up on the tomb robber and licking his hands like a pair of puppies. "Just a sampling of my skill." Ryou said, laying the dog collars in Pharaoh Setna's hand, "And if that doesn't convince you, just wait until you see me in action." It was then that he spied Honda, who was staring right at him. He walked right over in greeting. "Hi there! What's your name?"

"Uh, I'm Honda." Honda replied shaking the tomb robber's hand.

"Honda, huh?" Ryou said, slipping a hand in and out of Honda's pouch. "It's very nice to meet you." He walked back to the ring, waving, and as he did so, he brushed close by Seth before reaching the ring. Seth blinked once before he felt the small sheath on the side of his belt—only to find it empty!

"Huh? HEY! WHERE DID MY DAGGER GO?!" Seth roared.

"Oh, you mean this?" Ryou asked, revealing a bronze dagger with a golden hilt.

"YOU THIEF!" Seth hollered, "Give it back NOW!"

"Sure, here you go!" Ryou said, tossing the dagger back to the High Priest. Then he pulled out another object, a small pendant that took the shape of a scarab beetle. "Oh, and I'm sure **this** doesn't belong to me either."

"Wha!" Honda shouted in shock, and immediately looked into his pouch. Sure enough there was a certain something that was missing and now he knows where that thing is. And that made him mad. "How the heck did you get my amulet?!"

"Like I said, I'm a slippery fellow." Ryou replied, tossing the amulet back to its rightful owner. He then turned towards Pharaoh Setna. "Your Majesty, as you can see, you couldn't find a better man for this task than me. I beg of you, let me try to win those riches and Nimea's hand in marriage. I want to restore her to you as well as the other treasure hunters she herself tried to rescue, and at the same time, become an honest man myself. Besides, I'd rather use my skills as a thief for a more noble cause."

Anzu faced her father in thought and said quietly, "You know Daddy, it might be a good idea to send him."

"And why not?" Setna replied just as quietly, "Not many men or women want to risk their lives for your twin sister, after all." The crowd waited without moving until the Pharaoh spoke again, this time out loud. "Very well Ryou, if Otogi and Mai should fail, you shall have your chance. But you must promise to go to the dungeons and stay there until I send for you."

"Fair enough." Ryou said with a polite bow, before the guards came to lead him away.

Once Ryou was out of sight, Setna faced the crowd. "We have three volunteers so far. Is anyone else who is willing to step up?" The courtyard was dead silent. "No one else? Very well then, the decision has been made. You are all now dismissed." Soon the crowd started leaving.

"That's it?" Jonouchi asked, "Aw man, just when things are starting to get interesting."

"You really like the interaction, don't you Jonouchi." Shizuka said.

Mai stepped up at that moment, saying, "Oh! You must be the famous basket weaver! Do you mind if I rest at your place for a while? No need to worry, I'll make sure the lions don't hurt you."

"Oh, I don't mind the extra company." Shizuka replied.

"Yeah," said the blushing Jonouchi, "Don't mind at all."

"Jonouchi, Honda," shouted Prince Atem, "would you mind lifting Shield down from her place?"

"Sure!" Jonouchi said, "I'm coming!" and he ran to join Honda in this task.

"I'm going to join with my brother for a while." Prince Yugi said to the Dancing Explorer, "You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course I don't mind Yugi." Anzu replied, "I'm sure you need to spend time with your twin. Just make sure you get there when we see Otogi off tomorrow."

"Got it." Yugi said, "I'll see you later." By the time he reached his elder brother, Jonouchi and Honda had already put Shield back down on the ground.

"Thanks!" Shield said, "Any friend of Atem is a friend of mine."

"No problem Shield." Honda said, still feeling a bit awkward about talking to a sea turtle.

Yugi was truly startled when Shield turned her head towards him and said, "Why hello. I must admit, when I found out that Prince Atem has a younger twin brother, I was rather surprised. It's an honor to meet you by the way."

"Uh, nice to… meet you too." Yugi muttered. He looked toward Atem. "Atem, you never told me that this sea turtle could talk!"

"Well, as surprised as I was about the whole thing," Atem explained, "it was a good thing she was able to talk. I sat on her last night, and if she hadn't spoke up, I would have been none the wiser."

"All right, enough chit chat you two." Seth said to the twin princes, "It's time to go back to Shizuka's." Seth turned toward Kisara and asked, "Can you make it back to your house on your own?"

"I-I think so." Kisara said, "Thank you for spending your time with me, Seth. Do you think we'll see each other again?"

"I'm sure we will." Seth replied, "Somehow." Kisara simply nodded, and with a gentle smile she went on her way.

Atem smirked. "You have a thing for her, didn't you?"

"Oh shut up." Seth said blushing. And with that everyone was on their way. The sun was sinking down the horizon by the time they left and Atem sighed.

"What's wrong Atem?" Yugi asked.

"Otogi will be going tomorrow morning." Atem replied, "If only there's a way of knowing what would happen to him."

"Well, since he's going to the sea, I could follow him." Shield suggested, "I'll see what happens and I'll tell you all about it."

"Are you sure about it?" Yugi said, getting used to the talking sea turtle.

"The trip may seem long, but I'm a very fast swimmer."

"That's a great idea Shield!" Atem said.

"Well, well," a smooth feminine voice said, "I never knew that there's a talking sea turtle in this little group."

"Mai?" Atem said, recognizing the voice. Sure enough, Mai was close by him. It turns out she had overheard the conversation.

"You must be Atem and Yugi." She said, "Jonouchi told me all about you. Nice to meet you both."

"Well, It's nice to meet you too." Yugi said, "Your talent as a lion tamer is truly amazing."

"You think so?" Mai said with a wink, "You got just as much guts, standing up to defend the famous Dancing Explorer. It's too bad you didn't volunteer to rescue her twin sister."

"Well, to be honest, I have no interest in marrying her." Yugi said.

"I see." Mai said, and then she looked at Atem. She had a thoughtful look as she stared at his milky-veiled eyes. "You know Atem, Jonouchi told me that you were blind. I can see that he's right."

"Mai, even though I was unable to literally see your performance," Atem said, "I was still able to perceive it with my heightened senses. Your demonstration of courage is very impressive."

"I expect to hear nothing less." Mai said. "Anyway, I happened to hear your sea turtle talk, and like I said before, she sounds very interesting. Does she have a name?"

"Of course I do." Shield said, "It's Shield. Atem gave that name to me."

"Okay, that's what I'll call you too." Mai said, and Shield bowed politely. "So tell me Shield, You were at that gathering too, right?"

"That's right." Shield confirmed.

"What did you think of Ryou? You know, that tomb robber?" Mai then made a face as she said, "Personally, for someone who looks so sweet, he really creeps me out. You know why? He's able to steal people's belongings from right under people's nose. That shows that he's able to sneak in and out of someone's tomb and leave the guards none the wiser. I sure don't want him robbing my tomb!"

"Well, I guess in such matters he's definitely got some kind of talent." Shield said, "And it's a good thing he wants to use it for a noble purpose."

"And he better." Mai muttered, her hand curling into a fist, "Otherwise, I'd have to give a nasty mark to his sweet face." Soon, however, her confident smile returned. "But let's just put that aside for now. I'm eager to see the basket weaver's shop and home. It must be very cozy. And besides, I'd like to get to know her and her older brother some more." And with that, she went over to Jonouchi and Shizuka. When she was a good distance from them, Prince Yugi turned to his older brother.

"Atem," he whispered, "I'm surprised you didn't volunteer to take part in this dangerous quest. And you're the most daring man in our kingdom! Why didn't you step up?"

Atem sadly bowed his head low. "I don't know Yugi. I seriously don't know."

Note: In the next chapter, Atem meets up with Otogi, and decides to give him one final test. Until next time!


	12. Chapter 12

Note: Whew! Another chapter finished! You shall now bear witness to Otogi's final test of courage! Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Duel in the Moonlight

A beautiful full moon seemed to float in the dark starlit sky, its silvery light reflecting in the waters of the sea nearby Shizuka's home. Atem sat by the palm tree, listening to the ocean waves in deep thought. Most of his friends were already fast asleep by now, while he himself was wide awake, feeling anything but tired. A certain thought continued to nag the Blind Prince, and his younger brother's words echoed in his mind.

"**Why didn't you step up?"**

_Why __**didn't**__ I step up?_ he thought sadly, _There has to be a reason. But what is it?_ Before he could think on this question any further, however, he suddenly heard something swish in the air. There seemed to be multiple objects in fact, and that grabbed his attention. Atem stood up and followed the noise, using his echolocation to find its source. Imagine his surprise when he discovered exactly what, or who, was causing the ruckus. There, in the distance, was the soldier, Otogi, practicing with his multiple weapons. He was swinging his khopesh on one hand and twirling his spear on the other, and the blades on his shield spun like a windmill the whole time. His movements were just as fluid, maneuvering as if dodging an invisible opponent. Finally, he struck the ground with his spear in a finishing pose. Drenched in sweat and panting from the hard work, Otogi rose to his feet and was about to leave when he saw Atem standing before him. "Well, it looks like I got myself an admirer." Otogi said smirking, and he stepped towards the Blind Prince. "You look awfully familiar to me… wait, you're that guy with the priest, aren't you?"

"Considering the fact that this priest you speak of is my cousin, yes, I am." Atem replied. "My name is Atem."

"Atem, huh? That's a pretty good name." Otogi said. Once close enough, he got a closer look at Atem's milky-veiled eyes. "Hey, your eyes… you must be a blind man, aren't you? I've never met a blind man before. You must have missed out on a lot of things."

"In matters of sight, yes." Atem said, "But I was still able to perceive your skill using my other senses, and many are how you say, **supernatural** in nature."

"Oh really?" Otogi said in interest.

"If you don't believe me, perhaps I can show you."—Atem draws out his trusty sword, pointing it to the astonished blade soldier—"I challenge you to a duel, Otogi. You may have proved your courage to Pharaoh Setna, but can you prove it to me?"

"You? Challenge me?" Otogi said in amusement, and he raised his weapons. "Ha! You're on! But I'm warning you, a blind man like you won't stand a chance against me!"

"So said all the other opponents I faced before you." Atem replied confidently. "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm an easy target, so don't underestimate me." Both opponents took to their starting battle stances and after a small moment, Otogi made the first move. Once again, the spear, khopesh and the whirling blades on his shield slashed the air simultaneously, and with a shout, Otogi rushed forward. To the blade soldier's astonishment, Atem not only blocked his attack in record speed, he also pushed away the khopesh and swung his blade in a counterattack. The sword even momentarily stopped the spinning of the shield's whirling blades, and the Blind Prince thrust hard enough to make Otogi stagger backward.

"Whoa…" Otogi gasped out, "How could I **not** see that coming?" Atem charged toward him again, and Otogi barely dodged the attack. The blade soldier rebounded toward Atem and clashed his weapons between the former's sword. Both opponents pushed with all their strength, neither side gaining an advantage. "You know, for a blind man, you're a really talented fighter!"

"Remember the stone soldiers you fought?" Atem asked, "I use those same soldiers as practice!" That was when the two of them withdrew under the force of their weapons. "Not only did I use them to hone my skill, I use them to hone my echolocation!" Otogi stared in amazement, even as they clashed their weapons yet again.

"Echolocation?" Otogi said, "You mean the ability to 'see' through a heightened sense of hearing?" His spear barely struck Atem's shoulder, leaving only a minor flesh wound. Minor, because the Blind Prince was able to dodge fast enough to avoid a more serious injury. "No wonder a blind man like you has good reflexes!"

"And that's just one of my abilities," Atem said, and with grace he maneuvered his sword and harmlessly undid Otogi's red headband with it. The Blind Prince smirked once the headband landed gently on his hand, bringing a dull warmth on contact. "I've been blind my whole life, even at birth. And yet… Did I mention you look good with this red headband on your forehead?" He tossed it back to Otogi, who had become more astonished than ever before.

"How'd you do that?" Otogi asked as he quickly put it back on, all while blocking another of Atem's attacks.

"Every color has its own temperature," Atem replied, "and as far as I know, only I can feel them." The bronze and steel from both sides slid off of each other, only to clash again slightly above their heads.

"I guess with those talents at your disposal, all your other opponents must have been taken off guard." Otogi said.

"Same with most of **your** opponents once they challenged you." Atem said and jumped over the blade soldiers head, doing a graceful flip as he did so before he landed on his feet as a cat would. Otogi, with all his weapons slashing the air, rushed over o attack his opponent from behind. Imagine his shock when Atem quickly spun around at the last minute and disarmed the blade soldier of both his spear and khopesh, and even stopped the whirling blades on his shield a second time. Atem pointed his sword at Otogi in triumph, and after a startled pause, Otogi let out a sigh, giving a humble smile as he did so.

"Looks like I finally met my match." he said, "I've gotta hand it to you, you're really amazing." He went over to pick up his weapons and said, "All the other opponents I've ever faced, no matter how strong they are, once they see me in action, they all just run off in terror. But you're different, Atem. You stayed to fight me to the very end of the duel. And you even won! You're the first worthy opponent I've met in my life as a soldier."

"You're just as worthy Otogi." Atem said with a smile, "For although you lost the duel, you still proved your courage to me. You were able to stand up to my attacks even though I am blind, and through the whole duel I sensed your determination, and it was very strong. You may have what it takes to defeat the fiendish squid and restore all of his victims."

"Anything to save Princess Nimea and prove my worthiness to her." Otogi sighed in a dreamy tone as he put his weapons back in his sheath.

"You love her," Atem said, "don't you."

"I'd like to think that." Otogi admitted, "When I first saw her carrying the remains of that black lion, her beauty, her strength, and her courage all took my breath away. Some might say it's love at first sight."

"I don't exactly understand such a concept, since I can't see myself, but I sure would like to meet her once she is rescued." Atem said.

"It's too bad you didn't volunteer to go after her." Otogi said, "You got more than enough guts if you can face me head on."

Atem bowed his head in sorrow. "I wanted to volunteer, but something is holding me back. It's not fear, because even today I never feel any form of fear. In all honesty, I don't know why I didn't accept this challenge."

"Maybe it's because you don't have to." Otogi reasoned, "I'll make sure that the Daring Huntress and the other treasure hunters are returned safe and sound. As long as I have my weapons with me, there's no way that fiendish squid would drain away my courage as it did with all the others."

"I sure hope so." Atem said.

"Well, anyway," Otogi said as he started leaving, "It's time to go to sleep. Tomorrow's a big day, since I'll be off to start my quest."

"Good luck Otogi," Atem said, "And be careful." As the blade warrior left, Shield the sea turtle went toward her friend.

"Atem, there you are!" she said, "I was looking for you when I saw you fighting with the soldier. When I looked at all those weapons of his, I can't help but feel a little doubtful."

"He says he has what it takes." Atem said, "But go ahead and follow him. As soon as you get back, tell me and my friends of what happens to him."

"I'll do just that." Shield replied, "For now, let's head back to Shizuka's and get some sleep."

Note: Will Otogi be able to rescue the princess? Find out in the next chapter! Until next time!


	13. Chapter 13

Note: Hiya Peeps! I got yet another chapter finished! And I must mention, there's going to be some Seth/Kisara fluff in this chapter. So enjoy!

Chapter 13: The Blade Soldier's Demise

The next morning, everyone was on the seashore when Otogi set out on a small reed boat. Pharaoh Setna and Princess Anzu stood watching him, along with several nobles, and hundreds of people. Shouts of "Good luck!" can be heard from the crowd as Otogi gave a salute to them. As soon as he was almost a speck in the distance, the crowd dispersed. "This is my cue to make my departure," Shield said to her human friends. "I will return as soon as I can."

"Goodbye Shield." Atem said, "And be careful." And with that, Shield crawled away from the shore, and slipped quickly and silently into the sea.

* * *

It has been three days since Otogi's departure, and so far there have been no news of his fate. On this particular night, while everyone was asleep, Seth was at the beach watching for a certain sea turtle. It was not long before he heard footsteps from behind him, breaking his self imposed trance. He slowly turned around, and his cheeks instinctively turned pink. For there, stepping towards him, was the young peasant girl, Kisara. "Seth?" she said meekly.

"Kisara?" Seth responded, "Oh, hello. Couldn't sleep?"

"No." Kisara replied, shaking her head. "Can I sit by you for a bit?"

"Go right ahead." Seth said kindly, and Kisara sat close to the High Priest upon the smooth rock that served as their chair. They listened and watched the waves for a while, before Seth spoke again. "It's beautiful out there, isn't it?"

"Yes, it **is** beautiful." Kisara sighed, "But for me, it's kind of sad too." Seth looked at her when he heard this.

"You miss him, don't you? Your father…" Seth said.

The tears began to stream down the peasant girl's cheeks. "Yes. I think of him almost every day since his disappearance. He is very good man, you know. He was the one who cared for me since desert bandits have killed my mother long ago. I still remember all the times we spent together, and even then he wanted to help me get a better life than I already have. When he set out to get the Siren's Pearl, we were on the verge of falling on very hard times. I've been struggling since."

Seth wrapped an arm around Kisara and drew her closer to him. "You're very luck to have someone who's there when you need them. To be honest, I don't remember much about my father, since I hardly ever get to see him. The one whom I would consider as a father figure was my uncle. Forgive me for not telling you this before but, he happens to be a pharaoh from another land, and my father is his brother."

"So you're no ordinary priest?" Kisara said in awe.

Seth shook his head smiling. "I was only fourteen when I became the High Priest of the Desert Kingdom. I'm sixteen now, just like my twin cousins, Prince Atem and Prince Yugi."

"You really are amazing." Kisara sighed, closing her eyes and leaning on Seth. "I'm sure my father would like to meet someone like you."

"I'm sure he would too." Seth said, "Don't worry, I'm sure that somebody would be able to get him back. I don't exactly know who that would be, but I know they'll do it."

"Seth, thank you." Kisara whispered, and with a smile, she fell asleep. Seth couldn't help but smile, and the whole time his heart felt like dancing. Who could have imagined that this beautiful peasant girl before him would make him feel that way?

* * *

A few more days passed after that, and there was still no sign of Otogi. It was morning, and Prince Atem waited at the beach along with most of his companions. "Geez, what's taking Mr. Swordsman so long?" Mai pouted with an annoyed tone, glaring out at the sea with Jonouchi and his little sister. "It's been a whole week since he left and he still hasn't come back with that damn Pearl!"

"Just be patient Mai!" Shizuka said calmly, as she once again started working on yet another basket project. "He must have been working very hard on this quest."

"Shizuka's right." Honda said, "We know you want to have your turn, but that no reason to get all wound up over it." Mai huffed out in her impatience.

"Look at it this way," Jonouchi said, "At least you'll have plan of attack if you get the chance." This made Mai smirk in his direction.

"Good point." She said smoothly, making Jonouchi blush.

"Would you guys be a little more quiet please?" Atem growled, "I'm trying to listen for Shield."

"Oh, sorry." Jonouchi said sheepishly.

Luckily, as if on cue, a familiar childish voice called out, "Hello out there!" Atem turned to pinpoint the voice, but it was Yugi who first spotted a certain talking sea turtle.

"Look guys!" Yugi shouted, "It's Shield! She's back!" Atem managed to pinpoint her location and smiled. The whole group ran to the seashore in greeting.

"Welcome back Shield!" Atem said, "You must have been swimming out there for a while. Here, have some dates."

"Thanks Atem," Shield gasped gratefully, "I was getting really hungry." And she wasn't kidding, for she snapped down three dates in one bite.

"Whoa. This turtle's got one heck of an appetite." Seth mused, "Kind of like our little Mutt."

"Watch it!" Jonouchi barked angrily.

"So how did Otogi go?" Atem asked once she finished, "Did he get the Siren's Pearl?"

Shield immediately grew silent.

"Uh, did he?" Yugi asked, growing concerned. The smiles on the others' faces faded as well. Finally, Shield spoke, and her voice sounded quite discouraged.

"It turned out just as I expected…" she began.

**Shield was close by, unseen by the blade soldier as he swam into the cave with surprising difficulty. "Damn!" Otogi swore under his breath, dragging his weapons as hard as he could. For as it turns out, he had momentarily forgotten that his bronze scale mail** **breastplate, his bladed shield and his weapons combined would all become a bit heavy at the bottom of the ocean. Only his spear was lightweight underwater, and therefore it was the only thing he could handle more easily. **_**This sure is dragging me down.**_** Otogi thought, **_**I need to drop them, but if I do, I'd lose my courage!**_** Suddenly, the water around him started to move.**

"**Well, well," a smooth masculine voice echoed in the cave, "what have we here? A brave soldier, intent on rescuing a certain damsel in distress? Let's see how brave you really are!" Otogi turned in the direction of the booming voice and found himself face to face with the very adversary he sought: the huge fiendish squid, dark violet in color, and he was staring right at him! Already, Otogi could feel his courage starting to drain, but he glared at the squid, filled with deep determination.**

"**You! So we meet at last!" Otogi shouted, "I'll take you down with all I've got!" And so the battle has begun. Little by little, Otogi's courage began to grow weaker and weaker as the fiendish squid slowly made his approach. The blades on Otogi's shield were causing dust where it whirled on the sand, and to his dismay, two of those blades broke off. He then tried to swing his khopesh, only to find it so heavy that he could hardly lift his arm. When the squid darted out at him, he tried to maneuver himself out of the way of the tentacles. Unfortunately, he could barely lift himself off the ground with his breastplate, and his courage weakened even further. So in desperation he made his direct attack on the squid using his spear. He managed to slash the squid's rubbery skin, but just when his confidence was making a comeback, the fiendish squid suddenly grabbed hold of the spear, still in Otogi's hand, and with his powerful tentacles, he snapped it in two. When this happened, the last of the blade soldier's courage disappeared completely, and before he knew it, he was frozen with fear like** **never before. The fiendish squid struck, wrapping his tentacles tightly around the terrified Otogi. Then a wave of magical energy flowed from those tentacles, and spread to him. Otogi, his eyes widened, let out a gasp of pain, and to Shield's horror, his body began to convulse in agony before he was consumed in a bright light. When it faded, you can imagine Otogi's horror when he found that he had transformed into a swordfish. A three-headed swordfish to be exact! And as Shield watched the unfortunate soldier-turned-swordfish flounder around and get his three sword noses tangled up in the seaweed, out comes the nomarch, Dartz. He had a wicked smirk of satisfaction.**

"**Well done Mahaad!" he cheered, "This form suits that fool of a soldier quite nicely." Then before the sea turtle's very eyes, the squid also began to change shape. It was none other than a man in white priestly robes, the magician known as Mahaad.**

"**I appreciate your praise, Master," Mahaad said with a bow, "Sure, it's not the second princess, but it's a good start." The three-headed swordfish whimpered the whole time.**

**Dartz looked at him with a wicked grin. "So much for rescuing your little damsel in distress, eh Cerberus?"**

With her story finished, Shield moved about angrily, her shell rattling against a couple of loose seashells. Everyone listening stared with eyes widened in shock at what they had heard.

"Otogi…" Shizuka gasped, "is a swordfish… with three heads?!"

"Man, poor guy didn't even stand a chance!" Jonouchi stuttered.

"And that so-called 'fiendish squid' wasn't really a squid at all!" Seth said, a glare beginning to form on his face. Only the Blind Prince was silent. At least he started that way.

"Atem?" Yugi said in concern. Slowly Prince Atem lifted his head.

"I knew it!" he growled in a low tone, and when his face came into full view, the others backed away slowly. He wasn't just sad about the loss of the blade soldier, no sir. Atem was extremely furious! "I knew there was some kind of connection!" Atem roared, slamming a fist in the sand. "That nomarch, Dartz—**He was responsible for all those recent disappearances**! And that stranger Shizuka met was a magician in league with him!"

Atem wasn't the only one growing angry. "Why that son of a bitch!" Mai shouted, her hand curling into a fist. "He and his accomplice kidnapped Princess Nimea! How dare they! I swear, I am going to make them pay!"

"Whoa Mai, calm down!" Jonouchi cried, squeezing her arm.

"The Great Sargasso Sea must have been located near the rocky island the nomarch was ruling." Honda said, "He knew about the Siren's Pearl and its power!"

"Atem, Mai and I are going back to the palace to confirm Otogi's failure." Yugi said, "We won't tell the Pharaoh about the nomarch yet though. He's already worried enough as is." Then Prince Yugi ran off in a burst of speed. "Let's go Mai!"

"You got it!" Mai shouted as she followed him. By then Shield stopped her angry shuffling.

"One way or another," Atem said, petting the sea turtle's shell, "Dartz and his Dark Magician are **not** going to get away with this!"

Note: This doesn't sound good for our heroes. Now it's Mai's turn to try her luck. But first, she and Jonouchi are going to spend some time together in the next chapter. Until next time!


	14. Chapter 14

Note: Another chapter finished! Now if only I got the creative juices to help with "Blue Eyes White Mermaid"... but that's beside the point! There's tons of Jonouchi/Mai fluff in this chapter, so enjoy!

Chapter 14: A Lion's Pride

Later that night, the group was starting to get a bit restless. Shizuka, after hearing of Otogi's failed attempt, had truly become stressed indeed. So to try and relieve it, she started working overtime on weaving baskets.

"C'mon Sis!" pleaded Jonouchi, "Can't you take a break? You're getting everyone worried!"

"Shut up, Jonouchi," Shizuka snapped, not taking her eyes off her latest reed basket, "I'm not in the mood to rest!"

"But Shizuka--" Jonouchi started to protest, but Seth stopped him.

"Leave her alone Mutt," the High Priest interrupted, "otherwise she's bound to give you a punch in the face."

"Cut the 'Mutt' crap and stay outta this!" Jonouchi barked in anger.

"Jonouchi," Atem said calmly, "I'm afraid in his own rude way, Seth is right. Your little sister is having a hard time right now, and weaving baskets is a way for her to calm down."

"I know that Atem," Jonouchi said, "but I don't want her to do it nonstop!"

"Me neither!" Honda added, "It's not good for her to work without eating or sleeping!"

"She's highly aware of that." Atem said, "But for now she needs to relieve that stress. Just let her be, for now."

"Are you crazy?!" Jonouchi blurted out, but quickly the Blind Prince put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Listen Jonouchi," Atem said sternly, "if you want to help Shizuka so badly, you can do so by going outside. I don't want you to provoke her and cause more stress than she could handle."

Jonouchi stared at him for a moment, before finally bowing his head in defeat. "All right, you win." He sighed, and he made his way to the door.

"Guess that means I have to go out too, right?" Honda asked wearily.

"Yes Honda, you too." Atem replied.

"Allow me to lead you two outside." Shield said, crawling towards the door, "Now let's go get some fresh air." Honda let out a sigh before he followed the sea turtle out the door, with Jonouchi ahead of them. Once outside, however, Jonouchi took notice of a small tent close by his sister's house and shop. There was light shining through its entrance, and though it was faint, he could hear a familiar voice shouting commands of all sorts.

"Hmm, seems like Mai's training her lions again." Shield mused. "I wonder what kind of tricks she's teaching them this time?"

Honda let out yet another sigh and said, "Well, since we're out here and all, maybe we can go over there and find out."

"You know, that's not a bad idea." Jonouchi said, staring at the tent, and with Honda behind him, he proceeded onward.

"You go on ahead." Shield called out, "I'll catch up to you."

* * *

Jonouchi pulled back the curtain that served as the door for the tent. Peeking inside, Jonouchi couldn't help but stare in awe of the spectacle before him. Four lions were each rolling on large crystal balls in a circle, and with relative ease. In the very center was Mai, in all her grace and beauty. As Jonouchi stepped inside to get a closer look, Honda peeked inside just in time to see the practice performance. "All right now," Mai called to her lions, "Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Come!" And as she called each lion by name, they gracefully got off the crystal balls one by one and leaned on their stools with their two front paws. "Good job!" Mai praised, giving each lion and lioness a piece of raw meat to reward them. Jonouchi and Honda were in such a deep self-induced trance over watching this fine beauty that they didn't notice the sphinx Teleia plodding behind them.

"Mistress!" she called out, scaring the sandy blonde and his unicorn-haired friend, "We have guests!"

"GAH!" yelled Jonouchi, "D-don't scare me like that!"

Mai chuckled as she approached the two young men. "Don't mind Teleia. She likes to sneak up on people like that."

"I can see that!" Jonouchi shouted, blushing when he realized that her eyes were on him.

"By the way Jonouchi," Mai said, "You did such a wonderful job helping me with my performance last week. In all honesty, you'd make a very good lion tamer."

"Gee, thanks Mai." Jonouchi said, "In all my life, I never imagined taking part in something as amazing as this! Having the chance to get those lions to bow down to me, I feel like I'm king of the beasts!"

"I felt that very same excitement when I first trained with lions," Mai explained with a smile, "and I still do."

"Hey, is there something I can do to help?" Honda asked.

"As a matter of fact, I think there is!" Mai said, "There's some fresh straw over in the corner. My assistants have already cleaned the cages, so would you mind setting up the lions' bedding?"

"Sure!" Honda said, deeply relieved that he didn't have to do the cleanup part of the job, and in a flash, he was gathering up straw by the bundle. Jonouchi took this time to continue his conversation with Mai, who was by now petting the lioness, Nut.

"So what was it that inspired you to become a lion tamer?" he asked. Mai turned to him to reveal a dreamy look on her face.

"It may be hard for you to believe," Mai said softly, "but my inspiration is none other than Princess Nimea herself."

"Princess Nimea?" Jonouchi gasped in astonishment.

"When I was a child, I got a chance to come to the palace to meet the royal family." Mai explained, "Nimea and Anzu were children too, four years younger than I am in fact, and they had yet to receive the titles of 'Daring Huntress' and 'Dancing Explorer'. Yet even back then they were very bold, especially Nimea in particular. On that day, some foreigners had just given a live leopard as a tribute. When it burst out of its cage, many of the guests were very frightened. Even I was frightened at the sight. But Nimea… to everyone's surprise, she just skipped over and fearlessly jumped onto that leopard, and rode on it like it was a little pony. It was the very sight of it that changed my life, and I knew that when I grow up I wanted to work with big cats just like that. Even now it's hard for me to believe that there was anything that was capable of bringing fear into her heart."

"So the Daring Huntress was actually your role model?" Jonouchi said.

"That's right. I owe her so much for making me who I am today. That's why I'm making that attempt to rescue her, and it's not just for the riches. I'm doing it to thank her for inspiring me with her courage!"

"Well, tomorrow morning you're going to get that chance." Jonouchi said.

Mai began to frown. "I never imagined that the fiendish squid was really a powerful magician in disguise, or that the very same magician was the servant of a wicked nomarch! They are going to pay for what they have done!"

"Now that we know what we're up against, do you have any plans of attack?"

That's when Mai's lips curled into her famous smirk. "Well it unlikely that my whip would work properly underwater, but I know for sure that the sea is full of menacing beasts that are fierce in their own right. They sure would help me in this coming battle." She cracked her whip once, then let out a sigh. "It's too bad you didn't step up to the challenge. You'd be just as great a hero as you would a lion tamer."

Jonouchi gently too hold of Mai's hand. "I'm not interested in Nimea, Mai. My heart's already been captured by someone else." Now it was Mai's turn to blush, and her heart began to stir like never before. Jonouchi came closer. "Before you go out on that quest Mai… there's something I need to tell you. I… I've…Uhhh."

After a small pause on her part, Mai gave a gentle smile, and to his surprise she wrapped her arm around him and drew him closer. "No need to tell me. I already know." She said as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks, "because after spending so much time with you and your sister and getting to know you, I just realized… that I feel the very same way about you. I guess it must be…"

"…Love at first sight." Jonouchi finished softly, and before either of them could react, their lips made contact with each other in a deep kiss. Never in either of their lives have they felt so much joy. Of course, the kiss would have lasted a little bit longer if…

"Aw c'mon! Get a room you two!" Honda said in a loud voice, having finished his chore. Parting from the kiss, Jonouchi glared at his friend.

"Honda! Way to ruin the moment!" he shouted. "And I know you're thinking of doing the same with my sister, so back off!" That managed to shut Honda's trap, making his whole face grow pink in the process.

"That's nothing to worry about." Mai said, "We'll do some more later. Right now, I'm in need of some shuteye to get ready for tomorrow."

"Right." Jonouchi replied with a nod. He and Honda started to leave for Shizuka's house, and as they reached the tent entrance, Jonouchi turned around and smiled. "Since I won't be close to you when you make your departure, let me be the first to say… Good luck."

Mai blushed and replied, "Thank you Jonouchi." And with that, Jonouchi left the tent, to find a giggling Shield by his feet.

"I saw the whole thing!" she said, "You and Mai really do make such a cute couple!"

Jonouchi blushed at the comment. "Let's get back. Tomorrow is another big day."

"Can't wait to dream about Shizuka…" Honda yawned.

"Dream all you want about her." Jonouchi growled, "But if you do something to break her heart I'll make sure that I'll haunt those dreams of yours." As they walked back to Shizuka's house, Shield looked up at the starry sky above her.

"I sure hope the lady lion tamer has what it takes to defeat that magician." She murmured to herself. She continued on with the two young men, and when they all got back, there was a deep sense of relief to find that the basket weaver was in a better mood, which made sleeping soundly all the more easier.

Note: I must mention this. Yes, Nimea and Anzu are also sixteen in this story. In the next chapter, Mai sets off on her adventure. What happens? You'll have to find out! Until next time!


	15. Chapter 15

Note: Another chapter finished in a flash! So how does Mai fare in this quest? Time to read and find out! Enjoy!

Chapter 15: Brave Enough on Land

The following morning, Mai was out at shore getting onto the boat that would take her to the Great Sargasso Sea. "Best of luck to you Mai," said Pharaoh Setna as the crowd watched on.

"It's wonderful how my older sister inspired you in so many ways. We'll be rooting for you." said Princess Anzu.

"Hey, thanks for your support!" Mai replied.

"Are you sure you'll be all right down there?" Yugi asked in concern.

With her famous smirk, she gave him a wink and a thumbs-up, saying, "Don't worry about it Yugi, I'll be back one way or another!" And with that, she gestured to the ferryman to start rowing. Many people wished her luck as she made her departure. Atem, using his heightened senses, perceived the whole event while all of his other companions watched.

"Well, there she goes." Jonouchi said, "I'll bet you when she meets up with Dartz and Mahaad, she'll cream those two and snag that Siren's Pearl in no time flat!"

"Are you certain about that Jonouchi?" Atem asked.

"Of course!" Jonouchi said with a grin, "I believe in her!"

"Well, just in case, I'll go follow her like I did with Otogi." Shield said as she crawled to the surf. As soon as she was fully submerged, she swam out as fast as she could.

"Come back safely, okay?" Honda called out. As soon as she was gone, Atem stood up from his kneeling position.

"Now all we have to do is wait." Atem said. "Let's get back and have breakfast."

* * *

Another week has passed by, and Atem continued to wait on the beach. Jonouchi was sitting right beside him, staring out at sea. It was during this day that Yugi came by to check on his brother.

"Any sign of Shield yet?" Yugi asked.

"No," Atem replied, "Not yet."

"C'mon Mai." Jonouchi said to no one in particular, "You can make it back! I know you can!" Shizuka came out of her house at this time and sat by her brother with yet another basket project in her hands.

"I'm starting to get worried." She said, "It's already noon and Shield still hasn't come back yet!"

"Calm down, we just need to wait a little while longer." Honda said. Seth happened to look up at the sea right at this very moment, and his eyes grew wide.

"Actually, we don't have to wait for long!" he said, pointing out at the sea, "Look!" And most of the companions did look. Jonouchi felt a rush of adrenaline when he saw a certain sea turtle swimming at high speed.

"Shield! She's back!" he gasped. Atem immediately stood up and pinpointed Shield using his echolocation. He frowned.

"What's wrong Atem?" Yugi asked in concern.

"Something's not right." Atem replied, "She's not alone." Indeed, even as Shield swam, there was another sea creature swimming with her.

"Hello there! Sorry I'm late!" Shield said, crawling upon the beach. The sea creature also came ashore, and everyone was indeed bewildered at what it is. It was a sea lion with shining yellow fur, and it astonished the onlookers further by screaming, in a childlike voice, "JONOUCHI!!"

Jonouchi was startled when he heard the sea lion talk. "Wh-what?" he stammered, "H-h-how did you do that?! And for that matter, how'd you know my name?!"

"DON'T YOU RECOGNIZE ME YOU NIMCOMPOOP?!" the sea lion shrieked. Jonouchi got a closer look then, and gasped in utter shock and horror. What other sea lion has bright yellow fur, and lavender eyes?

"Mai…?" he gasped. Everyone else gasped along with him.

"Mai?" Yugi said in shock, "Is that you?"

The sea lion looked at the younger prince and sighed, "I told you I'd be back… but this is not what I had in mind."

Upon hearing this, Jonouchi started shedding tears of anguish like never before, and he gave the lady lion tamer-turned- sea lion a big bear hug. "MAI!! WHAT HAS BECOME OF YOU?!"

"L-let go of me!" Mai managed to say. Luckily, Atem was able to pry the weeping Jonouchi off before he could squeeze too hard.

"What happened Mai?" Atem asked in concern.

"I take it you didn't succeed as you planned? How was that possible? You seemed to have tremendous courage." Yugi added. Mai bowed her head low.

"Well, I was brave enough on land," she explained, "But I wasn't really prepared for something like this…"

**After going past the whirlpool, Mai took in her surroundings. "Ugh, I guess this wasn't called the Great Sargasso Sea for nothing." She muttered in disgust. Swimming over to a part of the sea free of vast seaweed, Mai took her whip and lashed it as hard as she could. Once. Twice. Three times. But just as she suspected, there was no cracking sound whatsoever. Instead, she churned up a great cloud of bubbles. "At least I could use the whip for some other purpose." And as if on cue, a pair of huge tiger sharks came swimming by. The lady lion tamer smirked, and swam head on toward the sharks. The sharks lunged forward to attack her, but immediately she lashed her whip so that it wrapped around the neck of one of them. "Ha! I have you now!" Try as it might, the tiger shark could not get free from her grip. The other tiger shark was about to lunge toward the lady lion tamer, when she shouted, "Ah, ah, ah! I wouldn't attack if I were you!" Once the shark stopped its swim, she said, "That's better. Now, would you and your friend be a dear and help me out on a little quest of mine?" She released the first tiger shark from her grip and before long, both sharks were swimming around her like a pair of friendly dolphins. "I knew you'd see things my way." she chuckled, "Now let's get to that cave." And off they all went. Once past the entrance, Mai heard a voice calling in her direction.**

**"Ah, who's come this time? Can it be her?" Slowly, a shadow of a large squid came into view. "No, you're not Princess Anzu! No matter, this will be fun!"**

"**Show yourself, you Dark Magician!" Mai shouted in anger, "I'm not afraid of you, for I am a lion tamer capable of subduing the fiercest of big cats! I don't know what you want with Anzu, but I'll make you pay for taking Nimea!"**

"**Heh heh heh heh, I didn't expect someone like you to know of my true form. Very well, I accept your little challenge Miss Lion Tamer." And out of the shadows came Mahaad in the form of the fiendish squid. And now, Mai too was beginning to feel her courage drain. Quickly she lashed her whip around one of the squid's tentacles and pulled in order to detach it. However, she didn't count on the squid having incredible strength, and after a great struggle the whip snapped. By then, her courage was dwindling, but she did not show it. "Go get him!" she commanded the tiger sharks with a glare, and faithfully the sharks obeyed their mistress. They attacked the squid head on, their sharp teeth on occasion sinking into his flesh and causing red blood to spew out in the water. But then, suddenly, Mahaad grabbed hold of both sharks, snapping the neck of one while ripping the other in two. Mai stared in horror; seeing her newly tamed sharks killed before her very eyes was enough to make her courage vanish all together. As Mahaad came closer and closer, the lady lion tamer let out a scream, and immediately he grabbed her. As she struggled to get herself free, Mahaad laughed and said, "You call yourself a lion tamer? What a joke! You're nothing more than a little scaredy cat** **in my view! And I know just the form that will suit you!" Once again, waves of magical energy flowed from the squid's tentacles, and spread to his victim. Mai let out a scream of pain before the light completely engulfed her.**

"And when it finally faded, I found myself in this form!" the sea lion Mai cried, "That's when I really started to panic, because sea lions are air breathers—and I was deep underwater when the effects of the Sargasso tea was canceled! I was lucky that I had a run in with Shield, otherwise I would have drowned!"

"That's awful!" Yugi said, "I'd better get back to the palace! I don't know what Dartz and Mahaad are planning but one thing's for sure: they're after Anzu! I need to protect her!" The younger prince made a dash for it and called out, "This time when I get back, I'm taking her with me!"

"Your Highness!" Seth blurted out, but Yugi was too fast. And Mai found herself gawking at what she just heard.

"'Your Highness'?" Mai said in confusion, but soon that confusion turned into shock. "Wait a minute! You mean to say that the twins are really members of royalty?!"

"All right you got me." Seth said in defeat, "Atem and Yugi are the sons of Pharaoh Akunumkanon of the Desert—and I am their High Priest and cousin." For a moment the sea lion's mouth hung open in surprise. Then she lowered her head.

"Sheesh, you three are even sneakier than the Dancing Explorer…"

"DAMN YOU DARTZ! DAMN YOU MAHAAD!" Jonouchi shouted in rage towards the ocean, "NOW YOU'VE DONE IT! YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH CHANGING MY TRUE LOVE INTO A SEA LION! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!!"

Prince Atem, however, was paying no attention to Jonouchi's rant. He had found himself in deep thought. _Blessed Mother, you're the one holding me back, aren't you? What are you trying to tell me?_

Note: Oh no! Another victim of Dartz! Now Ryou has to take her place! What's going to happen next? find out in the next chapter! Until next time!


	16. Chapter 16

Note: To think I got this chapter done in a few days! For all you Yugi/Anzu fans out there, you're gonna love the fluff in this chapter! And Ryou gets released too. Enjoy!

Chapter 16: Of Thieves and Kitchen Maids

"What?!" Setna shouted in shock, "Mai has failed too?"

"I'm afraid so Your Majesty," answered Prince Yugi grimly, "In fact when she came back, she was turned into a sea lion." The Pharaoh slumped back, while Anzu let out a gasp, her eyes welling with tears.

"This is bad… If he was able to defeat her and Otogi, that fiendish squid is very powerful indeed."

"What are we going to do?" Anzu asked worriedly. Setna stood up from his throne.

"We have no choice." he said, "Release the tomb robber from the dungeon! If anyone can bring back Nimea and the other treasure hunters, he's the one who can do it!"

"All right Daddy," Anzu said, "I'll do as you ask." And she ran out of the throne room, with Yugi right behind her.

* * *

The two of them had just reached the royal kitchen area, and Prince Yugi could already see that the Dancing Explorer was troubled. And for good reason too. "First Nimea, then Otogi, and now Mai!" she said, "I can't stand it! What if the same thing happens to Ryou? If that should ever happen, I may have to go face that squid myself!"

"Anzu don't say that!" Yugi said.

"I may have no choice!" Anzu cried, and before she could run away, Yugi gently grabbed the Dancing Explorer by the arm and spun her around so that she was looking directly at him.

"Look at me Anzu." Yugi said, calm but firm, "I know you're worried, but I won't let you go down there by yourself like that. Besides, from I have seen, Ryou has great potential. He may be able to rescue your twin sister and all the other victims of the squid." Princess Anzu gave no reply; she simply stared at the younger prince, her cheeks turning pink. He gently stroked her hair, and his voice grew soft as he continued. "Anzu, I know you're a capable woman, but I don't want you to get hurt like that. I can't bear the thought of you taking part in this quest only to suffer the same fate as your sister. If you should go down there, I may have to go with you."

Anzu's eyes widened in shock. "Yugi, no! You ca--" But Yugi put his index finger over her lips, and she became quiet.

"I may have to, Anzu," Yugi said getting closer to her face, "I want to protect you. I mean it. You don't know how special you are to me." Before the princess could comprehend what he was saying, he allowed his lips to lock on with her own. The act took her by surprise, but she did not struggle. In fact, she actually loved the kiss. Eventually, the two of them had to part in order to breathe. "I'm doing it because I love you Anzu." Yugi sighed, "You don't have to reply right away. I just wanted to let you know how I feel about you." Anzu's blush only grew deeper. In all honesty, she had actually fallen in love with Yugi, and to learn that he returns that love… well it was enough to take her breath away.

"Anzu! Yugi!" a familiar voice called out to them. Both of them looked up, and there was the royal kitchen maid, Mana, running towards them.

"Mana! Hello there!" Anzu greeted.

"Hi!" Mana panted, "I heard you guys are on the way to get Ryou! Mind if I come with you?"

"Go right ahead Mana." Yugi replied cheerfully, "We could use some more company. Let's get going."

"Okay!" Mana said, and so the three of them went on towards the hallway. It wasn't long before Yugi decided to strike a conversation with Mana.

"So how long have you been working as a kitchen maid?" Yugi asked in curiosity.

"Oh, about as long as I could remember," Mana replied "I mean, it's an okay job. But you know what? It's also kinda boring. Deep inside, I want to quit being a kitchen maid… and become something more. I know it's wishful thinking in my part, but it's my dream. I want to be able to do something that I can be proud of doing. I don't know what I want to do, but I'm sure it'll be much better than being a kitchen maid."

"Wow." Yugi said, "Well, maybe someday you might fulfill that dream."

"He's right Mana." Anzu added, "You have potential to shine in some way or another." This made Mana smile. It didn't take long before they made it to the entrance of their intended destination.

"Well, here we are." Anzu said, "Let's go down and get him out."

* * *

Under the guidance of a pair of guards, the three companions went down the stairs to the dark, tomb-like dungeon. Yugi couldn't help but shudder at the sight of the prisoners, all of them staring at him with intense bloodlust. That, of course, made him glad that the guards are brave enough and strong enough to hold them back as he and the two girls approached one friendly prisoner in particular. Ryou was sitting cross-legged in the corner of his prison, and it was no surprise that in spite of the dreary atmosphere, he had a cheerful smile the whole time. "Ryou?" Anzu said as one of the guards went forward to unlock the door. The tomb robber looked up from his patient trance, and his smile grew brighter.

"Oh, hello there Princess!" he greeted as he stood up from his spot, "I figured that you'd come and to pick me up." Though he continued to smile, there soon was a hint of sorrow in his eyes. "That could only mean that the two heroes before me have failed in their mission. I am very sorry for your loss." Just as quickly, the optimism returned to his eyes. "Never fear though, I'll save them all with my stealth. Before you know it, you'll have your elder sister back and all the other treasure hunters will be restored along with her, including those two heroes."

"You've got tons of confidence." Mana mused, "Are you sure you can get the Siren's Pearl?"

"Positive." Ryou said as he strode out of his cell, "As far as I know, this cave is kind of like a musty tomb; most likely, it's a very dark place, but it contains a great treasure. And to me, that fiendish squid is no different than one of the guards who watch for intruders. I can just sneak by him, take the pearl, and leave him none the wiser."

"That's a sneaky approach to getting the Siren's Pearl." Anzu said, "But if it works, I guess I won't stop you from doing it."

"And it will," Ryou said with a wink, "That's part of the plan, you know, and once it falls into place, this will prove to be the greatest theft in my career!"

"You'll be quitting your job after that, right?" Yugi asked.

"Yep." replied Ryou, "And I actually look forward to it. I'll still be using those skills, of course, but like I said before, it's going to be for a more noble purpose. Twelve large silos of grain are bound to help me get started." He starts blushing in embarrassment at this point. "Of course, the additional bonus of having a wife is not so bad either. I kinda get lonely sometimes."

"Considering that you chose to rob tombs by yourself, it's not hard to see why." Anzu said bluntly.

"Ha, ha, lighten up." The tomb robber chuckled cutely, "Your sister is always looking for a man who is the bold and daring type. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to show her that I am such a man. No fiendish squid is ever going to stop me from doing that."

"In any case," Anzu said, "My father has summoned you. He wants you to come to the throne room as soon as possible. But I'm sure you already know that."

"Well, I guess that means I should get ready." Ryou said, allowing one of the guards to escort him out of the dungeon. "I hope to see you tomorrow!" As he left, Mana let out a sigh.

"He sure is full of energy." she said, "Maybe he might get the Siren's Pearl after all."

"I hate to change the subject on you," Yugi said, "But I was wondering… About that nomarch, Dartz, you're the one who actually met him face to face, right?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" said Mana.

"Do you know what he looked like?"

"Well," Mana replied with a thoughtful look on her face, "He's the kind of man people would think of as handsome. He's got long turquoise hair and sun yellow eyes. He seemed sincere enough when I met him." Yugi frowned. It was just like what Shield described in her story. As for the 'sincere' part, he knew better. But he won't tell the kitchen maid that part. At least, not yet. But there is one thing he can tell her, with no hesitation.

"Mana, forgive the pun, but personally I think there's something 'fishy' about that guy."

"How come Yugi?" Anzu asked in curiosity. "Do you know something about Dartz that we don't?"

"Actually yes." Yugi confirmed, "But for your sake I'll tell you about it at a later time. For now, I have another plan in mind. You know about Shield, right?"

"You mean the sea turtle that Atem has?" Anzu asked, "I know about her."

"Well, do you mind coming with me to see her off?" Yugi asked.

"No, not at all." Anzu said, "In fact, I can even bring Mana with me to meet her. How about it Mana, wanna come meet the others?"

"Sure." Mana said smiling.

"It's settled then." Yugi said, "Now let's get out of this place!" And quickly, the other guard guided the trio out of the gloomy dungeon. After saying their thanks, they began to make their way to the throne room. "One more thing I must say," Yugi said to Anzu, "Be prepared to expect the unexpected."

Although puzzled by this advice, the Dancing Explorer gave a single nod. "Okay…" she said, "I'll keep that in mind."

Note: In the next chapter, We learn of Ryou's fate. Did he get the Siren's Pearl? Until next time!


	17. Chapter 17

Note: Whee! Another chapter done in a flash! I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but as it turns out there a startling revelation concerning Shield. Enjoy!

Chapter 17: "Almost" Doesn't Count

Morning came, and once again the crowd gathered by the shore. This time, Pharaoh Setna could not be there to see Ryou off, for he was too ill with worry. Instead, it was Princess Anzu who gave him one final wish of good luck before he set off. The whole crowd stood sad and silent as they watched. "No worries everyone! I'll be back with that Siren's Pearl in no time flat!" Ryou called out cheerfully, waving as he left.

As always, Atem and the others were there, and this time Kisara was standing by Seth's side. "I heard that Otogi and Mai had failed in their quests. I'm starting to get worried."

Seth hugged the peasant girl tight. "It's going to be all right Kisara." he said. "Somebody's going to get that pearl, I'm sure of it."

Honda looked to the side of the beach. "Hey look!" Honda exclaimed, pointing ahead of him. "Yugi's coming over! And he's got guests!" Sure enough, Anzu and Mana were close behind him.

"Welcome back Yugi." Atem greeted as his younger brother stepped toward him.

"Hi there, big brother!" Yugi greeted likewise, "Do you mind if I introduced these ladies to Shield before she goes?"

"No, don't mind at all." Atem replied, although he was a little surprised. Mana bounded in front of the Blind Prince.

"Hi! I'm Mana! Yugi told me all about you and your friends." said Mana with a grin. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Likewise Mana." Atem said with a small polite bow.

"So Atem, where's your sea turtle?" Anzu asked.

"I'm right over here!" Shield said as loud as she could.

"Huh?" Anzu said in confusion, "Who's there?"

"Uh, I think you should look to your side a little bit." Jonouchi said. And the Dancing Explorer did look, as did Mana. There was Shield, in preparation for her journey.

"Hello!" Shield said, startling both girls to no end.

"I told you to expect the unexpected." Yugi said to Anzu.

"Ah! By the gods of the desert! T-there's another sea creature that can talk!" Mana stuttered.

"Hey, she's not the only one!" Mai quipped, startling the girls further.

"Mai?" Anzu gasped in recognition.

"Hey Anzu." The sea lion said. Princess Anzu stared for a while, then her eyes widened a bit.

"Hey, hold on a minute." she said, and she slowly came toward Shield and looked at her in the eye. After a minute of silence, Anzu spoke again, and what she said surprised everyone in the group, even Atem. "You're not really a sea turtle, are you?"

Shield bowed her head. "No. No I'm not."

"That must explain why you're able to talk." Anzu reasoned. "Who are you, really?"

Shield let out a sigh. "I won't tell you my real name yet. But I will tell you that I was one of those unfortunate souls who went out to seek the Siren's Pearl."

"You're one of the treasure hunters…!" Atem said.

"That's right Atem," Shield said, "I am one of the lost treasure hunters."

"And my sister risked her life just to save people like you!" Anzu gasped, "You poor thing!"

"I must have caused so much trouble for the Delta." The sea turtle said sorrowfully, "I'm so sorry."

"Shield, it's not your fault." Atem said, "The Daring Huntress chose to go out after you."

"Still, I want to make up for it." Shield said, "I'm going down to follow Ryou to see what happens to him. That way, you'll know of his fate."

"I'm so happy you want to help my family Shield." Anzu said, petting the sea turtle's shell, "Nimea would love to meet you when you're both back in your true forms."

"Thank you Anzu." Shield said, and she crawled out into the water.

"Be careful out there Shield," Yugi called out, "See you later!"

"Goodbye!" Shield called out, and she slipped silently into the sea.

"Wow, to think that Shield was actually a human!" Honda said.

"I know…" Atem said, "But human or otherwise, she's a really good friend. To be honest, I'm starting to miss her presence when she goes out like that."

"Speaking of which," Jonouchi said, "Aren't you going to go with her Mai."

"No." Mai said, "I'm staying here."

"Thank God Teleia was able to recognize you before the other four lions got a chance to eat you."

"You saved me from those lions too, you know." Mai said, "Or have you forgotten?" Jonouchi blushed, his eyes revealing that he indeed remembered rescuing the sea lion with the sphinx's help. It was at that moment Anzu took out a small whistle.

"Hey!" Shizuka said, "You're summoning the messenger dove? I thought you're going to go back to the palace."

"Actually," Anzu said, "I'm going to wait with you guys. I'm writing a letter to my father so that he knows about it." She blew the whistle and in a flash, a light gray dove swooped down and rested on her shoulder just as she took out a small roll of papyrus. "Let's go back to your house Shizuka."

"I'm with you Anzu." Atem said with a smirk.

* * *

The week flew by in a flash, and waiting sure wasn't easy during that time. Atem sat on the shore every day, listening for the sound of either a boat returning, or even of a person swimming to shore. Above all, he listened for the sound of Shield returning. Meanwhile, Jonouchi was busy training with the lions in Mai's place. Mai happily looked on with pride, for he was becoming an even better lion tamer every day. In between, the sandy blonde would spend time with his transformed girlfriend, giving her comfort when she needed it. At the same time, Seth was spending more time with Kisara. Kisara, as it turned out, had become so anxious about the whole situation that she couldn't stand to wait alone. So Seth, in his kindness, allowed her to stay with him at the basket weaver's abode. And speaking of Shizuka, she had become so stressed that she spent the whole week weaving papyrus reed baskets. By the time the week passed by, she had woven up to twenty-three large baskets. Thankfully, to the relief of her older brother and of Honda, she paused only to eat and sleep. Yugi and Anzu also spent more time with each other, sometimes waiting outside with Atem as the latter played a reed flute to keep from getting bored. And Mana? She was there too, and she often helped Shizuka with mealtime. All of them started to grow impatient. They all thought that surely, Ryou would come back with the Siren's Pearl. But as the week passed by, there was no change to the water, no sign of the tomb robber. Then one night, as the sun had just set, Atem was starting to get weary of the waiting. _She should be back by now._ he thought, _What has happened to her? Could it be that she's finally got caught?_ The air around him was starting to get cold, so he hugged himself for warmth. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Atem! Atem! I'm back!" Shield exclaimed.

"Shield! You're safe!" Atem called out, "For a moment I thought you forgot about us!"

"What's going on?" Yugi said, poking his head out of the door. The moment he saw Shield, he excitedly called out, "Hey! Shield just came back!"

"She did?!" Anzu exclaimed, running out of the door with Yugi. "Oh thank goodness! I was starting to get worried!" The others immediately came out soon after.

"You're late." Seth said bluntly.

"Well excuse me for taking so long this time!" Shield snapped.

"Hey, no fighting!" Kisara said, "Seth, that wasn't very nice!"

"He's always like that sometimes." Jonouchi said, earning a growl from the High Priest. Mana ran down with a small piece of cake. The sea turtle drooled at the sight of such a delicacy.

"I figured you'd might be hungry from your trip." she said, handing over the cake. "Here, I made this myself. It's really good with honey on top."

"Thanks!" Shield replied, and she gobbled up the cake in a flash. "Mmm, that hit the spot!"

"So Shield, what happened?" Anzu asked, bending down to the sea turtle's level, "How did Ryou do in his quest for the Siren's Pearl."

She swallowed once to finish up the cake, then she spoke. "Believe it or not, he started off quite well."

"He did?!" Atem exclaimed, growing excited along with his friends, "What happened?"

"I'm getting to that part!" Shield said, and she started her story.

"**Ah, there it is!" Ryou said quietly, peering at the cave ahead of him. As he got closer to the entrance, he spotted Mahaad patrolling the cave in his squid form and quickly hid himself to not only avoid being seen, but also to avoid getting his courage drained. **_**Whoa, that thing is creepy!**_** he thought to himself, **_**No wonder all the treasure hunters got scared out of their wits. Good thing I'm not going to confront him directly.**_** He spotted some particularly long strings of seaweed, and smirked. "Hmm, now these would come in handy." Quickly he gathered up the seaweed and immediately wrapped them around himself. "Camouflage is ready. Now for phase two." With that, he slowly floated inside the cave. Quietly he went into another patch of seaweed, where he blended in almost perfectly. **_**So far, so good.**_** Ryou thought, continuing his way. Just then Mahaad went by the seaweed patch. At that moment Ryou accidentally knocked over some pebbles, which made some nasty clatters.**

"**Huh?" Mahaad said, stopping, "Who's there?!" Instantly, Ryou became very still. Mahaad approached the seaweed patch where he was hiding. The tomb robber could feel the fiendish squid's presence, and somehow, he felt a compulsion to turn around and look. But he resisted that compulsion, even as the squid came closer. Just when he thought he couldn't resist any longer, Mahaad withdrew from the patch, swimming in another direction. "Must have been my imagination. Waiting for Princess Anzu must have been getting to my head." Ryou breathed a silent sigh of relief. **_**That was too close! I must be getting a little rusty.**_** The tomb robber continued on his way, ever so quietly, until finally he was past the squid. **_**Perfect! He never even noticed me once!**_** Ryou was smiling now. **_**Now to go and get that Siren's Pearl!**_** So he swam as quickly as he could to start his search, not knowing that Shield was close behind him, creeping in the cave just as quietly.**

Shield suddenly grew silent in the middle of her tale. This made everyone concerned, especially Atem. "Why did you stop?" he asked. "What happened next?"

"Yeah Shield, please tell us!" Mana begged. Shield looked up at her friends with deep sorrow in her eyes, and when she spoke again, her voice was slow and sad.

"I was afraid you would say that. Because this is the part where Ryou's luck finally ran out…"

**The sound of a head bumping against the wall could be heard in the cave, followed by a small yelp of pain. Ryou rubbed his head and swore under his breath. That was the second time he bumped his head against a stone wall. "Damn it!" he cursed angrily, "I knew the cave was dark, but I didn't think it would be **_**that**_** dark!" He swam onward, but since he couldn't see anything in this degree of darkness, he grew more clumsy, which was quite unlike himself. This drew the attention of a school of monstrous stingrays, which started to attack him on sight. The tomb robber tried to swat them away, but the stingrays were too powerful. So he had no choice but to dodge their attack. Then finally, he saw the glow of the Siren's Pearl, which illuminated a corner of the cave and he swam right to it. Unfortunately, the stingrays launched yet another attack, and in trying to defend himself, he bumped against the oyster, and it immediately snapped its shells together and all was dark again. Again Ryou swore, loudly this time, and he felt for where the opening happened to be. But try as he might, he could not pry the shells apart, so the Siren's Pearl remained locked away from his clever fingers. "Damn it! DAMN IT!" Ryou yelled in frustration, fighting off the swarm of monstrous stingrays, "Now I know I'm rusty!"**

"**You're damn right you are!" a voice boomed in the cave. And suddenly, there was light everywhere and the stingrays dispersed. Ryou grew stiff. "I admit, you're very clever." The voice continued, "Sneaking past me without my noticing you. I really would have been none the wiser had you not made such a… commotion back here." The voice started to chuckle wickedly, and once again Ryou felt the compulsion to turn around and look behind him. This time, he could not resist, and he did turn around. The moment he laid eyes on the fiendish squid, Ryou's courage drained away so fast that it was gone before he even knew it. His eyes widened and his heart beat fast with intense fear.** **As Mahaad approached, Ryou let out a bloodcurdling scream, and the squid quickly grabbed hold of the terrified tomb robber. "You're a very bad boy! You almost got away with an incredible theft," Mahaad said, "but I'm sorry, 'almost' doesn't cut it in this cave." And once more waves of magical energy surged from the tentacles and spread to the victim. Ryou screamed the whole time before the light enveloped him. Shield, hidden in a secure spot, covered her eyes until the light faded, and when it did, she silently gasped. Ryou had been transformed into a long, slippery red eel. When he saw himself, he screamed like never before. Mahaad returned once again to his true form, just when Dartz came in.**

"**Ha, ha, ha, another catch of the day!" Dartz laughed wickedly.**

"**Master!" Mahaad said as he turned toward his master. Then suddenly the Dark Magician clutched his head, letting out a yell of pain as if he were in some sort of struggle. This confused Shield, until she saw Mahaad slowly look up at Dartz with hatred in his eyes, and with strain he said, "You… you **_**bastard**_**!"**

"**What?" Dartz said in amusement, "What did you just say?" It was then that the sea turtle noticed some aquamarine light briefly glowing on Mahaad's chest, and in an instant he straightened up and the evil smile returned to his face. The glow faded as quickly as it came.**

"**Nothing Master." Mahaad replied, "Anyway, it seems that this slippery little thief just came in and tried to get the Siren's Pearl from right under our noses. I got him in the end, though, and now he looks just like the eel he is! His courage drained away so quickly that he proved to be easy prey!"**

**The nomarch laughed when he heard this. "Why Mahaad! This is the best joke you ever made so far! Now the Dancing Explorer, Princess Anzu, is bound to take matters to her own hands and try to rescue her sister herself! And when we get her, no one else would dare try to do the same with either of them! Once Pharaoh Setna dies of his poor broken heart, I will finally be able to take control of the Delta kingdom! All of its people **_**will**_** become my slaves, Mahaad! No one will dare disobey my commands when I am Pharaoh!" His laughter was still echoing in the cave by the time Shield fled the cave.**

"And that's it." Shield finished, bowing her head in sorrow. Anzu and Mana were truly in shock over what they had just heard.

"No way!" Mana said, "You mean that Dartz was the one who caused all this the whole time?!"

"And we have the motive now." Jonouchi said, "He wants to get rid of the royal family so he can have the Delta kingdom all to himself."

"A tyrant in the making…" Honda said.

"And as for the Dark Magician, Mahaad," Seth said, "from what the sea turtle told us, it seems that he, too, is under a spell—Dartz's spell."

"So Mahaad really **isn't** as evil as his 'master'!" Yugi reasoned, "The nomarch must have altered his consciousness in such a way that his body has become a living puppet to another, more sinister mind! If left to his free will, Mahaad would never serve Dartz that willingly!"

The whole time, there were tears were forming on Anzu's eyes. She could hardly believe what she had just heard, but somehow, she knew immediately that it was true. Now that Nimea was captured, the Dancing Explorer herself was the next target! With a sudden cry of anguish, Anzu laid her head on Shield's shell. "No! Please don't tell me any more of this!" she cried, "I can't bear to think of Nimea, Mahaad, and all the other brave men and women in Dartz's power forever! I can't bear to think of my father grieving for me and my sister until he dies—**and that bastard of a nomarch enslaving my kingdom!**" The tears flowed down her cheeks like rain, heartbroken over the loss of many heroes, and angry at the scheming nomarch. "There must be someone who can get the Siren's Pearl!" Anzu wailed, "THERE MUST BE SOMEONE!!"

"There is." Atem said in a low tone. Everyone looked at the Blind Prince in surprise. Up until now, he had been silent after hearing of Ryou's fate. He was standing, his head was bowed low and his hands curled into fists.

"Atem?" Shizuka asked, "What is it?"

Slowly, he lifted his head up, and there was a determined glare upon his face. "There **is** someone." he said. Then to everyone's further astonishment, he took out his sword and, using it as a walking stick, he turned to walk away.

"Huh? HEY! Atem!" Yugi shouted, "Where are you going?!"

"I'm going to the palace Yugi!" Atem replied, "You come with me too Shield, we're going to meet up with Pharaoh Setna."

"What?!" Honda exclaimed, "But—but why are you doing this?!"

"I know of someone else who will try to save the Daring Huntress!" Atem quipped.

"Who?" Jonouchi demanded.

"If you want to find out, you have to come with me, and fast!" Atem responded, going faster and faster until he actually started running.

"Wait up Atem!" Anzu shouted, running after him. Yugi followed in suit, then Seth and Kisara, then Shizuka, and the Jonouchi and Honda, followed by the lady lion tamer-turned-sea lion, Mai. Finally Shield herself followed.

"Hey! Wait for me!" she hollered, waddling as fast as she could to catch up. It became obvious that she couldn't, so Jonouchi and Honda ran back to pick her up and carry her with them.

Seth!" Kisara said, "I didn't know that a blind man can run that fast!"

"Atem is not your ordinary blind man!" Seth exclaimed in reply. There were no other words to say by anyone as they all rushed toward the palace.

Note: That's right! Mahaad isn't as evil as you initially thought! I did mention eariler that he was brainwashed by Dartz, you know! In the next chapter, Atem and his companions meet up with Pharaoh Setna. Until next time!


	18. Chapter 18

Note: I'm on a roll with this story! THE FIENDISH SQUID HAS A WEAKNESS? What could that be? Read and find out? Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Stepping Up to the Challenge

Onward the companions ran, until at last they all reached the gates of the palace. Siamun was outside the gate between a pair of guards, who immediately blocked the entrance. "You shall not pass at this moment!" the old advisor said.

"Please Siamun," Atem pleaded, "We need to see Pharaoh Setna!"

"I'm sorry, but you can't!" Siamun replied rudely, not at all intimidated by the Blind Prince's sword, "He is ill and can see no one!"

"Not even his youngest daughter?" Anzu quipped with a smirk, earning a look of surprise from the old advisor as she and Mana stepped forward.

"Your Highness? Mana? What are you…?" Siamun stuttered, then his eyes widened in amazement as he took a second look at the group in front of him. "Wait a minute! You're Princess Anzu's companions, aren't you?" Pointing to the Blind Prince in amazement, he exclaimed, "And you! You're Yugi's elder brother!"

"That's right." Atem replied calmly, "And we need to talk to the Pharaoh. It's about the Daring Huntress, Princess Nimea."

"Princess Nimea? Well, why didn't you say so?!" Siamun said, "Follow me to the throne room!" Atem and his friends did follow, and very soon, they were all in the throne room.

"Daddy!" Anzu called out, "Daddy! I'm back!"

The depressed Setna looked up in surprise. "Anzu! I'm surprised you came back at this time of the night! And your guests! What are they doing here?" he exclaimed, then grew sorrowful again, "It doesn't matter, though. You have no need to tell me about the tomb robber's failure. The boatman already told me how he fell victim to the squid. So now all is lost. Please let me mourn in peace."

"But Your Majesty!" Siamun said, "Nimea is the reason why this group is here! Yugi's twin brother, Atem, wants to talk to you about her!" Setna, although astonished at what he has heard, turned in the direction of the Blind Prince with the look of depression still on his face.

"What do want Atem?" Setna asked in a trembling voice, "Why did you speak of my eldest daughter? Do you not know that she is lost forever?" There were tears streaming down his eyes at this point. " There is no one else in all the Delta who would dare to get the Siren's Pearl to free her now."

"You're wrong, Pharaoh Setna." Atem said, "All is not lost. That's the reason my friends and I came here. There is someone else who **will** make that attempt. Someone who has what it takes to succeed." Setna's eyes widened in astonishment, and Siamun was just as surprised.

"There is?!" the old advisor gasped, "Well who is it? Who's going to try and get the Siren's Pearl?"

"_**I**_ will!" Atem said, pounding his right fist against his own heart. There was a gasp of shock within the throne room, for even Yugi and the others didn't expect that answer.

What?!" Jonouchi gasped, "No way! That's crazy talk!"

Setna stared in shocked silence before he finally stood up and cried, "**Y-you**? A **blind** man?! What foolish talk is this?! How could you raise my hopes in vain like that?!"

"I'm not just any blind man Setna!" Atem replied. "Seth, Yugi, I think it's time to come clean." Seth and Yugi simply gave a single nod, and together with Atem, they removed the peasant disguises, revealing themselves in their full glory. Setna, Siamun, and even Mana stared in awe at the fine white linen, the gold, the jewels, and even the upside-down pyramid pendant that Atem wore. What surprised them most of all were the crowns that Atem and Yugi each put upon their foreheads. "Let me reintroduce myself, Your Majesty." Atem said boldly, "I am Prince Atem, firstborn son of Akunumkanon, Pharaoh of the Desert kingdom, the same kingdom from which your youngest daughter has explored!"

"And I am Prince Yugi," Yugi said stepping by Atem's side, "twin brother of Prince Atem."

"And I am the royal High Priest, Seth." Seth stated, "Let me mention that I am also the cousin of the twin princes."

"A prince?" Setna gasped. Then he slumped back down onto his throne. "By the gods of the desert! It's bad enough that I lose one of my daughters to the fiendish squid. But for another Pharaoh to lose one of his sons…?! I never forgive myself!"

Atem bent down on one knee, a look of determination still upon his face. "Please hear me, Pharaoh Setna! I am not like the others before me! I wanted to volunteer for this quest, but the Mother Goddess held me back; now I understand why! Through the failures of the other three heroes before me, I have learned of the squid's weakness. Mana, do you recall anything about his power?"

"Well, yeah," she said, "the fiendish squid can drain the courage of those who look at him."

"And that's the whole point!" Atem explained, "This monster relies on people's sense of sight for his power to work. He cannot harm those who do not fear him, so he compels his victims to look at him. Then he makes his visage even more horrifying, and even heightens his dangerous strength to add to the effect. In the end, he becomes so fearful that only the eyes of the **blind** can see him **without** having their courage drained. And since I am blind, I will not see the fiendish squid, nor will I fear him. If I am correct, my courage will be out of the reach of his draining powers, so he will have no power to bring me harm."

"But what about the part of retrieving the Siren's Pearl?!" Siamun asked, "The cave is even darker than the darkest tomb!"

"Have you forgotten Siamun?" Atem said, "All my life, my fingers, my echolocation, and all my other heightened senses have taken the place of my eyes. The darkness of the cave will not disturb me. Furthermore, I have a sea turtle who will go with me and guide me as well."

"And you're willing to risk your life, for twelve silos of grain, half my kingdom, and Nimea's hand in marriage?" Setna questioned, "After all the other treasure hunters before you have failed?"

"I care nothing for the reward of grain silos and half your kingdom. I have no need for what I already have." Atem replied, "And as for the Daring Huntress's hand in marriage, it depends on what she and I feel about each other. All that matters as of this moment is that I will take part in this quest so that Princess Nimea will return. I will not let you die of a broken heart, and I will not let that evil nomarch Dartz take control of the Delta!"

"Nomarch Dartz? Take over my kingdom? What do you mean?" Pharaoh Setna gasped, "Tell me all you know!"

"Gladly." Atem said.

Seth stepped forward and with a small bow he said, "We never told you any of this before now, because we didn't want you to become even more worried than you already are. Your eldest daughter was, in a sense, kidnapped. And Dartz is the one who's responsible."

"He plans on luring Princess Anzu down to the cave so he can lay claim to her as well." Yugi added, "He knew that if you lost both daughters, you would die of a broken heart, which in turn would allow him to invade the Delta unopposed."

"He got himself some help." Atem said, "That so-called 'fiendish squid' is actually a powerful human magician in disguise, who goes by the name of Mahaad. Initially, we thought that he was a loyal servant of the nomarch, but a recent revelation tells us that he is not really as loyal as he appears. As it turns out, Mahaad was also a victim, a mind slave brainwashed by Dartz himself."

"This is a bad situation indeed!" Setna said gravely.

"Which is why I'm going down to the cave in the Great Sargasso Sea! Please Your Majesty, you must let me go!" Atem pleaded.

"Let me go down to the cave too!" Yugi said suddenly.

"Yugi!" Atem exclaimed in surprise. Yugi gave his elder brother a glare.

"You may be the most daring man in our kingdom, but I won't let you go down there alone!"

"Neither will I!" Seth proclaimed, "It is my duty to protect you in any situation!"

"I'm going with you Atem!" Jonouchi shouted.

"Me too!" Honda said.

"No!" Atem said, "You have to stay here! It's too dangerous!"

"Mai said that I have the guts to be a hero just like you, Atem! Let me help you out!" Jonouchi said.

"Yeah!" Honda said, "And besides, your family saved us when we were lost in the desert by your kingdom! Give us a chance to return the favor!"

"I'm going too!" Anzu said, startling everyone.

"Anzu!" Yugi gasped.

"Princess Anzu!" Pharaoh Setna cried desperately, "You can't go down there! I forbid you!"

"I know they're after me Daddy!" Anzu said, "And if that's what they want, that's exactly what they'll get! But they'll have to go through Atem first!"

"And me!" Mana said suddenly, "Let me go too Your Majesty! I'm more than a servant to the Dancing Explorer—We are friends, and friends need to stick together!" Setna could only stare dumbfounded at all the companions in front of him. And he was truly outnumbered seven to one. He finally sighed in defeat.

"It seems like I have no choice." he said, "You may all go down to retrieve the Siren's Pearl. At dawn tomorrow, I'll have a servant and some bottles of Sargasso tea waiting for you at the beach. Just be careful."

"We will, Pharaoh Setna," Atem said standing up. "I have one more request to ask of you. I want you to summon my father. Tell him it's urgent."

"If you insist, Prince." Setna replied.

"Daddy, If we come back with the Pearl, I'll send you a letter telling you about it." Anzu said, "That way, you'll know that we're safe."

"Very well my child." Setna said, becoming more relaxed. "I wish you all the best of luck."

As they all left the throne room, Atem said to his friends, "Thank you for joining me in this quest. Let's get some rest, for tomorrow we have some business to settle big time!"

"Are you sure you can do this Atem?" Yugi asked.

"I'm ready for this battle." Atem said in determination, "I don't know how it will happen, but one thing's for certain: For once, my blindness is about to become a great asset!"

Note: Atem and His friends are going down for the adventure of thier lives, and even Shield and Mai are going with them! Will Atem's plan work? The confrontation with Mahaad occurs in the next chapter! Until next time!


	19. Chapter 19

Note: Another chapter done! Before I introduce the story, I must mention that my birthday is coming: and it's the day before Yugi's birthday! With that out of the way, the time has come for Atem and his friends to start their quest for the Siren's Pearl!

Chapter 19: The Dark Magician Meets His Match

Early the next morning, Prince Atem and his friends set out on their quest. This time, the ferryman set up a boat large enough to fit all of its passengers. As they got past Dartz's rocky island, Seth began taking out some weapons. "These are no ordinary weapons." The High Priest explained, "I've enchanted them so that they work just as well underwater as they do on land. Anything can happen in this confrontation, so we need to be prepared." And with that, he handed out the weapons. Honda received a hand axe, while Jonouchi received the spear-like long axe.

"Sweet!" Jonouchi commented with a grin. Seth went on to enchant Princess Anzu's dagger, and the swords wielded by the twin princes.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Shizuka asked worriedly.

"I sure hope so." Jonouchi said, "Just wait for us to come back, okay Sis?"

"Okay." Shizuka said sorrowfully.

"Cheer up Shizuka!" Mai said, "Everything's going to be all right."

"Seth, please make it back safely." Kisara said, "I can't stand the thought of losing you."

"Trust me Kisara." Seth reassured, wiping a stray tear from the peasant girl's cheek, "Atem knows what he's doing, and so do I. We will come back." At last, the boat reached a place on the sea where tangled webs of seaweed lay on the surface.

"Dang! **This** is the Great Sargasso Sea?!" Honda gasped.

"It sure looks like it…" Yugi muttered.

"We're approaching the whirlpool now!" Shield announced.

Atem nodded in acknowledgement and commanded, "Everyone get your Sargasso tea ready! We're going in!" Immediately the team, each grabbed hold of a bottle of Sargasso tea, Atem included, and drank it to the very last drop.

"Hold on tight to the edge of my shell Atem!" Shield said, "It's going to be a bumpy ride!" There were nine splashes all together as Atem, Yugi, Anzu, Jonouchi, Honda, Seth, Mana, Mai and Shield dropped over the side of the boat one by one.

"Good luck you guys!" Shizuka and Kisara called out from the boat as the ferryman rowed away to a safe spot. Led by the sea turtle with Atem clinging to her back, the team swam closer and closer toward the whirlpool.

"Here we go everyone!" Shield said, "Brace yourselves!"

"Oh boy! Here I go again!" Mai shouted. She had good reason to say that, because in a flash everyone went down… down… sliding… twisting…gurgling… bumping… round and round… until finally, with a thump, they were dumped on a pile of sand at the bottom of the sea.

"Ugh, my head is spinning!" Anzu groaned.

"I don't know about you, but mine is pounding!" Jonouchi moaned, rubbing the part of his head where he and Honda collided with each other. In fact, Honda was doing the same thing with his head.

"I wanna throw up!" Mana cried, feeling rather sick to her stomach. The rest lay in silence, trying to compose themselves, while Shield pulled herself inside her shell. None of them moved for quite a while. Thankfully, they all soon recovered from the shock of their trip through the whirlpool.

"I hope I'll never go through **that** again!" Seth muttered.

"We won't." Yugi said, "I have a feeling Atem will see to that."

"Come on everyone!" Shield announced, "Let's not wait any longer! Mahaad patrols the cave himself, so there's no doubt he'll be waiting when we get there!"

"All right!" Atem said, taking hold of the string attached to the sea turtle, "Lead the way!" It was very cold and dark at the bottom of the ocean, but Shield and Mai swam ahead, with the rest of the team close behind them. Shield was not as slow in the water as she was on land, and even the Blind Prince had to swim quickly to keep up. Luckily, everyone managed to stay together in spite of the dim surroundings. It took a while before they reached the entrance of the cave, however.

"Well, this is the place." Mai said.

Atem turned around and said to his friends, "All right, you go hide behind some rocks and seaweed. I'll go ahead of you and confront Mahaad in his squid form. Do not come out until I tell you otherwise."

"I understand." Yugi replied as everyone went into a certain hiding spot, "Be careful out there." Once everyone was out of sight, Atem swam forward, waiting for the Dark Magician.

Sure enough, after a moment of waiting, Atem sensed the presence of Mahaad approaching. "Heh heh heh heh, I knew I sense someone's presence!" a voice echoed almost seductively, "Who can it be? Perhaps Princess Anzu has finally arrived!" It wasn't long before the fiendish squid came out from behind a corridor, and he gave a frown when he saw Atem. "Ah, how disappointing. The Dancing Explorer still hasn't come." he sighed, "Oh well, at least I'll have some more play time on the side." Mahaad slowly swam toward the young man before him. "What's your name? You look so… regal."

"I am Prince Atem of the Desert kingdom, and I'm here to save the Daring Huntress." Atem replied with a glare. "Is that information good enough for you?"

Mahaad laughed mockingly, saying, "Now **that** was unexpected! A Prince Charming from another kingdom! Is Pharaoh Setna that desperate?! He's an even bigger fool than I thought!"

"Don't underestimate me Mahaad." Atem said, "I'm not like the other treasure hunters you've faced before."

"Funny, that's what a few of those other treasure hunters said before I took them down." Mahaad said. "And as you're about to find out, I'll be making short work of you as well!"

"Give it your best shot then." Atem replied calmly, "That is, if you can."

"Very well, Prince Charming! You asked for it!" and soon, in the form of the fiendish squid, Mahaad came out of the shadows in full view, waving a few of his arms in a threatening manner. Atem stood steadily in place, his glare not wavering. He knew the Dark Magician was right in front of him, thanks to the echolocation that revealed his form. But without an actual sense of sight to pair with this ability, that fearsome form was not so fearsome to him at all. Mahaad became a bit puzzled at the sight. "Hmm, that's strange," he said, "I don't feel any once of courage draining from you. Perhaps the mere sight of my presence isn't enough to scare you. In that case, let's take it up a notch!" And with that, the fiendish squid made himself a bit bigger, and he waved his eight arms in the water, some of them slamming hard into some rocks and shattering them to pieces. The water swirled, and bubbles burst in Atem's ears. He even heard the stones crashing, around him, but still his confidence did not waver, nor did his courage. Of course at first, the Dark Magician didn't take notice of this. "How that, Prince Charming? No doubt you'll fear me now!"

"Mahaad, don't bother trying to make yourself more fearsome than you already are. It won't work for me." Atem said.

"Huh? You still don't shudder?!" By now, Mahaad was himself growing a bit intimidated, and he glared at Atem. "I see… you must be one of those hard ones! There are a few men and women like you who are able to stand their ground to this point. I find them very impressive. But let me tell you, you're no different from those unfortunate souls. I managed to drain away their courage in the end, all thanks to my secret weapon! Behold my ultimate form!" And the fiendish squid grew larger yet, and soon, two more larger tentacles slithered out, making ten tentacles in all.

"Yugi!" Anzu said from her hiding place, "I feel the compulsion to look!"

"Don't let it get the better of you Anzu!" Yugi yelled, trying his best to resist the pull himself, "Just keep your eyes away from him until Atem tells us otherwise!"

Jonouchi was struggling as his own head started to turn in the direction of the squid. Luckily for him, Mai slapped him with her flipper. "Get a hold of yourself, Jonouchi!" she said.

"Thanks," Jonouchi replied, rubbing his cheek, "I needed that."

Meanwhile, Atem stood tall in front of Mahaad, unmoving. He could feel the tentacles curl and uncurl around him, and he could hear the Dark Magician's laughter. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Well Prince Charming, what do you have to say about that?!" Mahaad asked with a sneer.

"I say you're wasting your time." Atem replied boldly. This really took Mahaad by surprise, but then surprise gave way to disbelief as he looked at his opponent.

"Impossible!" he gasped, "That's impossible! I've revealed my greatest form, unleashed my ultimate attack, yet you still show no sign of fear! Why can't I drain your courage?!"

"I told you not to underestimate me Mahaad!" Atem shouted, "But ironically, of all the fools in this cave, **you're** the biggest fool of them all!" Then as if in rage, he hollered with all his might, "DON'T YOU KNOW A BLIND MAN WHEN YOU SEE ONE?!"

Again, Mahaad was in shock. "You? **Blind**?!" It was only then that Mahaad got close and saw that his opponent's eyes were indeed covered completely with a milky white veil. "No…!" the Dark Magician growled, his shock slowly giving way to rage, "This cannot be! I've been outdone! By a blind prince!" With that, he slapped his tentacle upon Atem. But to his dismay, the Blind Prince's courage seemed to have manifested into a barrier to block his attack. Because Atem was not afraid, Mahaad's squid form no longer had the ability to harm him, or anyone else for that matter. "Very well, you leave me no choice!" and with that, he discarded his squid form in rays of light, and returned to his true form: That of a handsome young man in priestly robes. Only then did Atem's companions turn around and look.

"That's Mahaad in his true form?!" Mana gasped in awe.

"If I can't take you down as a squid," Mahaad roared to Atem, "Then I'll destroy you the old fashioned way! Take this!" In a flash, he unleashed a white ball of magical energy with his staff. Quickly, Atem raised his sword, and even though it was powerful enough to slam him into the cave wall, he managed to block it.

"Now, you guys!" Atem commanded. "Let's get him!"

"You heard the prince!" Seth hollered to the others, "It's ShowTime!"

"Finally!" Honda said, "We get to join the action!" All the adventurers came out of their hiding places in full force.

"What the--" Mahaad shouted in shock before he got tackled head on by Anzu. They slammed onto the ground before she pointed her dagger toward his neck. "Princess Anzu?" he gasped, before giving a small smirk. "Well, looks like you managed to show up after all."

"I know you're pleased to see me, but I won't let you take me as easily as you took my sister!" Anzu said.

Mahaad frowned once more. "Says, WHO?" and he kicked the Dancing Explorer right off of him, forcing her to slam right into the wall.

"Anzu!" Yugi shouted in shock.

"You leave her alone!" a voice suddenly called out, and just as Mahaad was sitting up, a certain swordfish with three heads came swimming head on towards him. He barely had time to raise his staff and block the three-pronged attack.

"Otogi?" Mai exclaimed.

"You'll pay for what you did to me!" Otogi said in anger.

"Shut up you worthless piece of tuna!" Mahaad shouted, using the staff to throw him out of the way, only to find himself clashing with the Blind Prince yet again.

"Snap out of it Mahaad!" Atem shouted, "I know you're not in your right mind! I know you don't really want to fight us!"

"Whatever gave you that idea?!" Mahaad quipped and he shoved the sword away and attacked with his magic. The ball of light made a direct hit, and Atem yelled in pain.

"Atem, No!" Seth exclaimed. In a flash, Honda and Jonouchi swam up to guard their blind friend as he slowly got up.

"Mahaad listen to me!" Atem said, "Dartz is controlling you! You have to fight his magic!"

"He's right Mahaad!" Jonouchi said, "Don't let Dartz get the better of you! We don't want to fight you!"

"That's too bad!" Mahaad shouted, aiming his staff, "You're going down!" Suddenly the Dark Magician let out a gasp, and he clutched his head, shaking.

"Huh?" Mana said, "Mahaad?"

"Some…one…" Mahaad strained to say, "Help… me…" And in a flash, aquamarine light started glowing from under the shirt on his chest. Immediately, he let out a cry of rage and attacked with his magic. Mana gasped in surprise, and to everyone's astonishment, she unleashed a ball of dark-violet light that collided with Mahaad's magic, forcing him back.

"D-did I just do that?" Mana stuttered, astonished by her own action.

"Damn you bitch!" Mahaad roared, "Now you really made me mad!" He unleashed three balls of pure magic in one swing.

"Look out!" Shield hollered, pushing Atem out of the way before one magic ball struck either of them. Yugi stood in front of Anzu and blocked another with his sword. The third exploded upon impact, enough to knock over Jonouchi, Honda, and Seth. Luckily, Seth erected a magical barrier to shield them all before more damage could be done.

"To insult me is to insult Master Dartz!" Mahaad bellowed, "Prepare to die!" But just when he was about to unleash another attack, once again he faltered, clutching his head as if in pain. "Dartz! Let…me… go… you bastard!" Once again, the aquamarine glow appeared on his chest, but this time, Yugi and Mana saw it.

"Yugi, did you see that?" Mana said, pointing to the glow.

"Yeah!" Yugi said, "Whatever it is, this must be the source of Mahaad's curse!" And just when the evil personality emerged again, Yugi and Mana swam up and grabbed hold of him before he could make another attack.

"Hey! Release me at once!" Mahaad roared, but both of them held fast as Mana ripped open his shirt to reveal the source of Dartz spell: a large aquamarine gem, bound tightly on his chest with golden chains.

"Atem!" Yugi shouted to his brother, "That gem is what's keeping Mahaad under Dartz's control! We have to destroy it! It's the only way we can break the spell!"

Atem immediately detected the gem with his echolocation and nodded. "Atem!" Otogi shouted, "Here, take this!" and with one of his three heads he tossed the tip of his broken spear over to the Blind Prince, who caught it with ease.

"Atem, please hurry!" Mana cried, "We can't hold him back much longer!" Quickly Atem took aim, and once his echolocation pinpointed the gem, he threw the spear point with all his might. To his relief, his aim was true, and the spear point struck smack dab in the middle of the gem, shattering it. Light shone from the cracks, and Mahaad let out a scream of pain. Only then did Yugi and Mana let go. At once the chain shattered as well, and the gem fell off of the Dark Magician's chest. He floated down to the sea floor, bubbles coming out of his mouth.

"Good thing we brought a spare bottle of Sargasso tea with us!" Mai said, "He's going to need it right now!"

Anzu swam over to the choking magician with the bottle, and quickly uncorked it and put it in his mouth for him to drink before the tea spread into the seawater. Mahaad, now back to his true self, let out a gasp and laid still before slowly he rose on his knees. "Wha… What happened?" Mahaad said, then his eyes widened in a horrified sort of shock. "Oh no! Did I just--"

"It's all right, Mahaad." Atem said with a smile, "None of it was your fault. Dartz had made a slave of your mind, but there's nothing to worry about. You're free now."

Mahaad stared at the Blind Prince, before he said, "You're… Prince Atem. You saved me!"

"You can also thank my twin brother and Mana for saving you too. They helped me." Suddenly Mahaad became more alert.

"Quick everyone, hide!" he whispered, "Dartz is coming!" Everyone did exactly as they were told, although Shield had to drag Honda by her mouth because he didn't go to his hiding place fast enough. Once everyone was out of sight, Mahaad conjured up a tangible illusion of a large tri-colored lionfish, before Dartz arrived to the scene.

"What was all that ruckus?" Dartz asked, "It sounded like some kind of battle."

"Ah Master!" Mahaad said, pretending that he was still brainwashed, "You've come just in time! Princess Anzu hasn't shown up yet, but can you believe what Pharaoh Setna sent this time? A prince! All the way from a foreign kingdom!"

"A prince you say?" Dartz said smirking. "Now that is interesting! No prince has ever come here for the Siren's Pearl before."

"I admit, he proved to be quite difficult." Mahaad replied, showing the illusory lionfish. "But I ultimately managed to emerge triumphant, for here he is! Doesn't he look lovely in that shape?"

"Yes, he does look lovely!" Dartz said, impressed by the Dark Magician's supposed handiwork, "In fact, he would look perfect on display in my study! Let me take him up there!"

"Gladly." Mahaad said handing the fish over.

"If you see the Dancing Explorer, please let me know beforehand. I want to be there to witness her demise!"

"Yes, Master." Mahaad replied. Once Dartz was out of sight, Mahaad quit his act and whispered, "All right, the coast is clear."

"You sure fooled him good!" Honda said.

"I know, but if we're going to get that Siren's Pearl, we'll need to hurry. The illusion I cast won't last long."

"Well, maybe we might not need the Siren's Pearl." said Anzu, "Now that you're a free man, you can undo the magic yourself and restore everyone to their true forms."

"As much as I want to do it, Your Highness, I'm afraid I can't." Mahaad said sullenly, "Soon after I changed someone into a creature of the sea, Dartz cast another spell to ensure that even I cannot restore them. Only the Siren's Pearl can save them now."

"In that case, let's go then!" Shield said, "C'mon Atem, I'll lead you to the oyster!"

"Let me help you as well." Mahaad said to the team, "I'll light the way so you won't have difficulty navigating in the cave ahead. But I warn you, it's guarded by a school of Dartz's stingrays. They'll attack any intruders who will even try to approach the Pearl."

"Thanks Mahaad," Yugi said, "Light the way while we follow you and Shield. Hopefully, Atem and I will think up a strategy by the time we see the stingrays." And with that, Mahaad conjured up a small ball of light that was as bright as a torch, and with Shield and Atem ahead of him, he led the others deeper into the cave.

Note: Mahaad is free! Woohoo! So now comes the next part. How in the world as they going to retrieve the Siren's Pearl? Who's going to take it out of the oyster? Find out in the next chapter! Until next time!


	20. Chapter 20

Note: Finished with the next chapter! The time has come to get that Siren's Pearl! Enjoy!

Chapter 20: The Siren's Pearl

Dartz came up to his study within his palace, holding what he thought was a transformed Prince Atem within a ceramic pot. "You truly are regal, little prince." Dartz said, "You're better off in my sight than in the ocean. If you don't like it, that's too bad. I'm not going to release you anytime soon." He approached a small tank made completely out of quartz crystal, and dumped the lionfish in. "Perfect! Your pretty form goes so well with this room." Then suddenly, the fish began to fade. "Huh?" Dartz said, before to his shock, it disintegrated into stardust and disappeared altogether. "What the hell?!" Dartz shouted in confusion, and tried to make mental contact with Mahaad. Imagine his further surprise when nothing happened. So he used his crystal ball to find his servant. What he found instead was the remains of the gem he used to brainwash the Dark Magician. That's when he finally realized the truth: Someone came all right, but instead of becoming fish, they broke his mind control spell and freed his mind slave! And to top it off, the lionfish was really an illusion—a creation of Mahaad, who is now helping those very same intruders! "I've been tricked!" Dartz growled. Immediately, in quiet rage, he rushed out of his study toward the Great Sargasso Sea.

* * *

The cave was a winding path in its own right, but thanks to Mahaad's ball of light, the team had no trouble seeing. Still, they had to move cautiously. The light could only reach so far, and none of the adventurers wanted to alert Dartz's stingrays prematurely. Prince Atem was the most cautious of all, because his blindness prevented him from seeing Mahaad's guiding light. Thankfully, he had his faithful sea turtle friend, Shield, and his supernatural senses by his side. Atem suddenly stopped. "Wait! I hear something close by." he said, "Shield? Do you see any movement?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I do!" Shield said, stretching out her neck. Mahaad directed his light toward that movement in response. The light exposed a school a stingrays swimming in front of the team.

"There's no doubt about it." Mahaad said, recognizing the school, "We found them. That means the oyster is somewhere close by." Sure enough, there was a faint glow in short distance beyond the monstrous stingray guards.

"Mahaad," Yugi said, "You said that the stingrays will attack any intruder who gets near the oyster, right?"

"That's correct." Mahaad replied. Yugi then turned toward his twin brother.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Atem smirked, understanding what Yugi meant. "It just might work." Then he turned his attention toward his friends. "Everyone, in order to get close to the oyster that holds the Siren's Pearl, we'll have to divert those stingrays. That's where you come in Jonouchi. You, Honda, Seth, Mai, Otogi and Mana will fight the stingrays to distract them. The rest will come with me and get the pearl."

"You got it, Atem!" Jonouchi said, readying his long axe.

"Count me in!" Honda said, raising his hand axe with a smirk.

"Anything for payback!" Otogi said.

"Ditto!" piped up Mai.

"I won't let you down!" Mana said.

"Good luck retrieving the Pearl," Seth said, "and be careful."

"All right then!" Atem said, "Let's put this plan to action!" And in a flash, Jonouchi and his group sped toward the stingray school, while Atem's and his group went into hiding. Jonouchi swam ahead, more than eager to fight those monsters.

"Hey!" Jonouchi bellowed, "Slimeballs! Over here!"

"You're nothing more than dirty laundry come to life!" Honda insulted. The stingrays, as if angered by the taunt, rushed toward the intruders. Seth raised his own dagger and stabbed one of them, and Otogi thrust one of his pointed noses straight into the heart of another. Still, more of them came, and now they had become so busy that they never even bothered to take notice of another set of intruders.

"Okay," Mahaad said, "They're distracted! Let's go!" Quickly but quietly, Atem, Yugi and their other three friends swam out of their hiding place, past the stingray battle, and headed toward the soft light that was the Siren's Pearl.

Jonouchi hacked a particularly large stingray guard with his long axe, finally cleaving it in two on the third swing. "With that much skill in battle, you'd be able to help me defend my troupe as we travel!" Mai commented.

"That's nothing." A blushing Jonouchi said with a grin, "I learned all this at the school of hard knocks when I was a kid." Suddenly, another monstrous stingray guard sped in front of the sand blonde, intent on taking him down. Jonouchi yelped in shock, as he was not prepared for the onslaught. Just in time, Mai bit the guard, tearing it to pieces in a matter of seconds. "Thanks Mai." Jonouchi said gratefully.

"No problem." The sea lion simply replied.

Meanwhile, Atem and his four compatriots had finally reached the giant oyster ahead of them. Yugi and Anzu could faintly see it lying in the sand, the light of the Siren's Pearl emanating within it.

"Wow, it's so pretty!" Anzu gasped, "It's like an exotic jewel box!"

"Now that you mention it," Yugi said, "It does look like some sort of treasure chest. And no doubt the most powerful treasure is inside!"

Shield crept a bit closer, even going as far as stretching out her neck to get a better look. Indeed, the oyster's upper shell was open like a lid. But the edge of each shell was as hard as a knife, and just as sharp too. Inside, the body of the oyster was pale and soft, like gray jelly. Now and then, a grain of sand would drift inside. When this happened, the sleeping creature would feel a slight tickle. It would wake for a moment, and its upper shell would quiver as if it was about to snap shut. But then the current would carry away the bit of sand, and the oyster would be still once again.

"I guess this is it," Atem said, "Anzu, you go over there and retrieve the Pearl from the oyster."

"No Atem." Anzu said, "**You're** the one who overcame Mahaad when he was brainwashed and in his squid form. I want **you** to take the Siren's Pearl. You earned it."

"Anzu…" Atem sighed.

"Don't worry." Anzu said with a smile, "I'm still going to help you out. I'll make sure the shells remain open."

"Me too." Yugi said, "I'll find something to keep them apart—just in case."

"The oyster in front of us is fast asleep now." Shield reported. "Now's our chance!"

Mahaad nodded and said to the Blind Prince, "All right, listen carefully. We have to hurry and take it out, but we mustn't go too fast. Any sudden movement would wake the oyster, and force it to close its shell. I'll keep watch while you perform your task. Take care." With that, the other four went toward the oyster.

At the same time, Honda swung his hand axe, killing yet another monstrous stingray. "Mana! Look out!" he exclaimed, for several were approaching the kitchen maid all at once. Mana screamed, holding up her hands. Suddenly, once again, dark-violet balls of pure magic shot out, and they obliterated the attacking group.

"Hey!" Mana gasped, "I did it again!" From a distance, Mahaad noticed this at once.

"Mana!" Mahaad shouted, "You have the potential to use magic just like I can! I need you to focus as of this moment! Concentrate on that spell, and let it wrap around your mind!"

"Mahaad?!" Mana said in astonishment.

"You can do this Mana!" Mahaad said. Mana closed her eyes and concentrated really hard. It was not long before she felt a great power burning deep from within her heart, the likes of which she never felt before.

"The words…" Mana whispered, "I know what to do!" At once, ball of light appeared in front of her, changing into a rod with the tip shaped like a tightly curved spiral. At the same time, she saw that Seth was in big trouble. Several stingrays were attacking him at once, and the High Priest didn't have the time to put up his barrier and make a magical counterattack. Two stingrays struck him, causing one bleeding wound on the side of his abs and another on his thigh on the same side of his body. Immediately Mana grabbed hold of her new rod, and pointing to the stingrays, she shouted, "DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" A large ball of dark-violet light shot out of the rod and in a flash, the monsters were dispatched. Seth was truly astonished at the sight of this young kitchen maid, who was suddenly able to cast a powerful spell before his very eyes.

"Wow, thanks!" Seth said, but recovered from his shock just in time to intercept another fishy guard.

Back at the oyster, Yugi was digging in the sand for something to hold up the shells. Shield helped out, digging where the younger prince could not reach. Atem and Anzu, on the other hand, crept toward the oyster itself, with Atem feeling and sensing his way until at last he touched the shell. While Anzu was trying to figure out a way to keep the oyster open, Atem said, "Well, here goes." And he slipped his fingers inside. Ever so softly, he slipped them around the smooth lining. The oyster's body quivered slightly, and the sharp lid over his head dropped down a little. But his fingers were gentle, and the oyster slept on—almost as if the oyster was soothed by his touch. At once, Anzu smiled.

"Atem! I think you just gave me an idea!" Anzu said, and she too slipped her fingers inside, and she started stroking the interior as if it were a pet cat. Again, the oyster quivered slightly, but her fingers were as soft and smooth as silk, and the oyster continued to sleep. It seemed as though it actually enjoyed being petted. "Now the oyster is sure to keep its shell open! Go on ahead Atem."

"All right Anzu, thank you." Atem said and continued to feel his way around. Suddenly, Atem felt the Siren's Pearl. It was round and slippery, and a little cool to the touch, but at the same time, it felt extremely hot, as though it were burning his fingers like never before. Atem gritted his teeth as though in pain, but his fingers did not let go. "A white color…" Atem said in a low tone, "It's the purest white I've ever felt!" His heart began to beat faster, out of complete excitement.

"Remember what Mahaad said, Atem." Anzu said, "You mustn't rush. Don't just jerk the Pearl loose, that would wake the oyster for sure!"

"Got it." Atem said.

"Yugi, have you found anything to hold up the shell yet?"

"Not yet!" Yugi said, still digging in the sand.

"Well I hope you find something soon!" Anzu said, "Atem's ready to take out the pearl!"

"Take this!" Otogi said, his three swordfish heads slashing more stingrays. But to the dismay of the fighters, more monstrous stingrays kept coming.

"Hurry up Atem!" Jonouchi shouted, "We can't hold back the stingrays for long!"

Getting the message, Atem slowly curved his fingers around the Siren's Pearl and moved it so gently that it seemed almost to slowly glide out of the shell. "It's out!" Atem proclaimed. And with that he and Anzu moved away. By the time their heads and shoulders were safely outside the shell, Yugi and Shield had managed to find a long wooden board, which was a good thing, because at that moment Atem's foot accidentally struck the oyster!

"Atem, Anzu! Watch out!" Yugi shouted, and just as the oyster's shells began to clamp shut, he immediately stuck the board in between them, stopping them fast. Try as it might, it could not clamp its shells together. The three of them breathed a sigh of relief. "That was too close!"

"Thanks Yugi." Anzu said, blushing.

"I got the Siren's Pearl!" Atem exclaimed, and everyone heard loud and clear.

"It's about time!" Seth hollered, casting a barrier spell over himself and the other fighters. All at once, they withdrew from the melee in order to rejoin Prince Atem and the others.

"Great job everyone!" Mahaad said, "Now let's get out of here before Dartz finds us!" They had all turned to swim away, but they had just swam a few inches when suddenly…

"And where do you think you're going?" a sophisticated sounding voice calmly echoed in the cave, and the team immediately stopped in their tracks. For there, right in front of them, was the nomarch Dartz, his arms crossed, and a small, wicked smirk upon his face.

Note: AAAGH! CLIFFHANGER! Dartz has found them! What's going to happen to our heroes? Find out in the next chapter! Until next time!


	21. Chapter 21

Note: Whoopie! I updated! And now the battle between Dartz and the twins shall begin! Enjoy!

Chapter 21: The Final Confrontation

The others stared in utter shock, but Atem glared. Although he was unable to see Nomarch Dartz due to his blindness, he still sensed the presence of pure evil in front of him. He could even hear it in his voice, and he knew. "You!" Atem growled in anger.

Dartz chuckled casually as he came closer. "Well met, travelers. And oh, look! Princess Anzu has made her appearance as well." he said, "I have to congratulate you for coming this far. So many so-called 'brave' men and women have come here to seek the Siren's Pearl, including Princess Nimea. But as you have known, not a single one of them has ever returned; I saw to that." There was a small pause, before the nomarch gave a small frown of displeasure. "I expected you to be no different from those would-be heroes. But instead, here you are, standing before me, still as your true selves! How is this possible? You all should have been fish by now!" Surveying the team, he suddenly laid eyes upon Prince Atem's glaring face. He smirked again. "I should have guessed. Only the eyes of the **blind** can see the fearsome fiendish squid without the risk of losing their courage." And in a flash, Dartz grabbed the Blind Prince by the collar of his cloak.

"Atem!" Yugi shouted.

"You truly are full of surprises, Prince Charming." Dartz said with a wicked smirk, "Your friends didn't really come face to face with my mind slave until you nullified his power, didn't they? They must have used you for that purpose so they can step in and get all the glory!"

"Don't you dare insult me or my friends!" Atem growled, his anger rising, "If you think I'm just your ordinary blind man, you are sadly mistaken!"

"My, my, such bold words." Dartz mockingly replied.

"Let him go Dartz!" Anzu hollered, growing angry herself, "It's me you want, remember?!"

Dartz once again gave a frown. "I would have had you in my grasp Princess, but thanks to this blind prince of yours, you and your compatriots robbed me of my mind slave!"

"Your anger doesn't surprise me Dartz." Mahaad said, "You wanted my power. That's why you imprisoned me within my own mind soon after you captured me physically!"

"Silence!" Dartz hissed, letting go of Atem, then turned to the team. "You may have gotten the Siren's Pearl out of the oyster, but mark my words: I will not let you leave with it!" He took out an aquamarine gem similar to the one that was wrapped around Mahaad before, and flung it towards the Dark Magician. The gem started to glow in an instant, and the chains appeared.

"Oh no, not **this** time!" Mahaad said, and he raised his staff and unleashed a ball of light, which destroyed the gem and the chains on contact. The force was enough to even push Dartz to the ground… hard. He stood up, slowly recovering from the shock.

"That does it." Dartz growled at the team, "You want a fight? I'll give you a fight!" That was when he took out his own staff, which actually served as a sword as well. "The Delta kingdom will be mine! And if I have to destroy you to claim what's mine, then so be it!" With a harsh battle cry, Dartz lunged toward the team. Imagine his shock when someone blocked his attack—and that 'someone' was none other than Prince Atem, holding his sword steady and strong. "What?!" Dartz gasped in shock as the Blind Prince shoved him away, seemingly without a hint of effort.

"I told you I'm not your ordinary blind man, Dartz!" Atem said, pointing his sword at the nomarch.

Yugi took out his sword and pointed in the same way as his elder twin brother. "Let's take him down everyone!" he commanded.

"You got it!" Jonouchi said, and with his own battle cry he charged, and the rest of the team followed in suit. Immediately, he used his magic to summon a pair of huge sea snakes to aid him, even as Atem and Yugi attacked him head on. Determined to defend their master, the sea snakes, one red and one blue, lunged at the rest of the adventurers, their fanged mouths wide open and ready to bite. Jonouchi swung his long axe hard to cleave the red snake in two, while Honda used his hand axe to cut the blue snake's head off. All at once that snake grew a new head, and the two halves of its partner merged back together and healed in a flash. Both snakes hissed in anger.

"Okay, that wasn't supposed to happen!" Honda shouted in shock. When the snakes lunged forward again, Seth blocked the attack with his magical barrier, then slashed with his dagger.

"Let's try this then!" Mai said, biting the blue snake while Otogi stabbed it with his three noses. But even as the sea lion tore off a piece of flesh, the wounds healed.

"I don't think it's working!" Otogi panted.

"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Mana shouted, and the dark violet balls of magic struck the sea snakes. For a moment they were knocked down, but then they rose again, angrier than ever before. Mana could only let out a small yell before the red sea snake wrapped itself around her. Before long, they both took hold almost every member of the team, squeezing them tight like boa constrictors. Only Shield managed to escape, and she quickly swam into a small patch of seaweed.

Meanwhile, swords clashed as Atem and Yugi continued their battle against Dartz himself. The twins each fought the nomarch on opposite sides, and Dartz was forced to switch from one opponent to the next. "Damn it!" Dartz hissed at Atem, "For someone who's blind, you're even better than I thought!" Atem's sword clashed with the nomarch's blade staff, and they both pushed hard.

"Believe me when I say this, Dartz!" Atem said, "I will not let you take control of the Delta! You will pay for what you have done to Princess Nimea and all the other treasure hunters!"

"And I will not let you take Princess Anzu!" Yugi hollered, "If you want her, you'll have to get through me!"

Dartz turned to the side and suddenly gave a wicked grin. "You really think so? Ha! By the way things look over there, I won't have to!"

Yugi looked to the side as well, and was horrified when he saw all his friends being constricted by the two huge sea snakes, and that Anzu was among them! "Anzu!" Yugi exclaimed, and in a flash he swam up in order to save his beloved. But Dartz swung his bladed staff and a boomerang-shaped arc of aquamarine colored magic surged up and slammed right into the younger prince from behind. He screamed in pain, before sinking unconscious to the sandy ground.

"YUGI! NO!" Atem exclaimed, and his rage toward the nomarch became even more intense than ever. "You hurt my younger brother!" he roared, picking up the spear head and taking aim, "I won't let you get away with this!" With the nomarch in range of his echolocation, he threw the spear head with all his might. Dartz simply smirked, and quickly moved out of the way at the last minute. The very fact that the spear head flew right past its target was enough to take the Blind Prince by surprise. _What?!_ he thought, _I __**missed**__?!_ Dartz's smirk became a wicked grin, and with evil laughter, he pounced on Atem head on. Atem raised up his sword to defend himself, but for once, it was not enough. Blood spewed like red clouds out of the cuts he received from the nomarch's blade staff, and he yelled in pain through clenched teeth.

"Atem!" Shield screamed from her spot.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Not so extraordinary now, are you Prince Charming?" Dartz mocked. Atem's milky-veiled eyes responded with a glare. Just then Shield came out of her hiding place and slammed her body against Dartz, forcing him right into the cave wall.

"Go get him, Atem!" She cheered as she swam toward Yugi. By that time, Atem managed to regain whatever strength he had left and launched himself toward the evil nomarch just as he was recovering from the shock. The swords clashed once again, and the Blind Prince found himself struggling.

"What are gonna do?!" Jonouchi said, trying to pull the coiling sea snake's body away from his neck, "Atem's bound to get killed if we don't do something!"

"We'll have to get rid of those sea snakes first!" Anzu said, trying to free herself from the grip of the other, "Otherwise we won't even live to help him and Yugi!"

"We're doomed!" Honda wailed, but just as the sea snakes opened their mouths to finish off the team, a red eel suddenly sped in front of them, slapping them in the face.

"Hi there!" a cheerful voice called out from the eel. Mai stared in amazement.

"Ryou?!" she gasped.

"What are you doing here?" Otogi asked.

"I saw that you guys were having some trouble." Ryou replied, "Perhaps I can be of some assistance!" And at once, he sped right into the sea snakes, biting each one as he passed by. The snakes hissed in agony and were forced to let go of all the members of the team.

"Thanks!" Mana said, after taking a well-needed breath.

"Now let's take care of those beasts and get it over with!" Mahaad said. "DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" Powerful balls of dark-violet light shot from Mahaad's staff, knocking the sea snakes senseless.

"Time to finish you off!" Anzu said, and she thrust her dagger right into the top of the blue snake's head. It roared in pain.

"And now for the final blow!" Seth roared, holding up his dagger. "WHITE LIGHTNING ATTACK!" A bolt of blue-white lightning shot from the dagger, and it struck both sea snakes simultaneously. With one last hiss of pain, the snakes fell to the sandy ground, dead, before they blasted into pieces and disappeared.

"Yeah!" Honda said, "Way to show them!"

"Don't celebrate just yet!" Seth said, pointing, "Look!"

Atem and Dartz pushed hard against each other with their swords. The sound of steel against steel repeatedly echoed in the cave, until finally, Dartz unleashed his magical arc attack. Atem went to the side to dodge it, but it still made a cut on the side of his body. Then the nomarch pounced on Atem, grabbing hold of him. The force of the attack was enough to send them both floating—until they landed right in between the shells of the oyster! Atem felt the sharp edge of the bottom half of the shell press against his back as Dartz pinned him down. The whole time, the Blind Prince never let go of the Siren's Pearl. Dartz chuckled as he saw the wooden board that kept the oyster from closing shut. "So it all comes down to this." he said, lightly laying a hand on the board. "All your efforts to retrieve that Siren's Pearl, to succeed where everyone else has failed…"--he pried the Pearl out of the Blind Prince's hand, still managing to pin him down with his knees-- "…All that, for nothing!" He leaned forward, once again placing a hand on the board. This time, he applied a little bit of pressure. "Once I remove that wooden board from between the shells, the top of the oyster will fall down on you. It will chop you in half, resulting in instant death. There's a tiny part of me that actually pities you, Prince Charming. You know why? I can tell just by looking at your face... You're born with those milky-veiled lenses, are you not? The poor prince! Even as a child, you must have been shunned by your own people! The elders must have given you dirty looks in spite of your royal lineage. They must have talked about you from right behind your back!" Atem's eyes widened a bit, and Dartz continued his little mind game, "And your peers! Oh, they must have made fun of you! They might even have shoved you hard into the dirt, kicking you when you were down! All simply because you are blind." The memories of that one single day of torment raced through Prince Atem's sightless mind, and his milky-veiled eyes stung with tears that could not be seen underwater. But Dartz's words fueled his righteous anger just as much as they hurt him.

"You can crush my body if you want…" Atem growled, "but I… will never let you crush… my heart!"

"Heh, heh, heh, in that case," Dartz said, slowly pulling the board, "I'll crush them both at once and put you out of your misery!" Slowly the board began to slip. "So long Prince Charming." Then suddenly, the nomarch felt something sharp strike the back of his hand, the hand that held the Siren's Pearl. With a yelp of pain, he was forced to throw the Pearl right behind him. And guess who managed to catch it? That's right! It was none other than Prince Yugi, who had managed to regain consciousness and get himself back up. He glared as Dartz turned around and faced him. "What?!" Dartz shouted in shock.

"Don't think you'll take me down that easily, Dartz!" Yugi said.

"Why you--" Dartz roared, getting off of his previous prey and raising his blade staff. But Atem, sensing the distraction and pinned down no longer, let out and battle cry and he made his attack, basically shoving himself up and out of the oyster. Dartz immediately turned around to face the elder twin when he heard the battle cry, but this time, he could not react fast enough. He stared in utter shock as Atem's sword plunged deep into his stomach, just below where his heart is. The sea around them had turned red with clouds of blood.

Atem's glared hard, and Dartz lifted a shaky hand. The Blind Prince pulled his sword out, put it in his sheath, and grabbed his enemy by the hair on top of his head. "So much for dominating the Delta." Atem said. Then, feeling the top shell of the oyster with his free hand, he shoved Dartz right inside the oyster, and kicked away the wooden board with his right foot.

"NOOOOOOO!" screamed the wounded Dartz as the top of the oyster shell crashed down and clamped shut, trapping him inside. A powerful gush of water struck Shield and Yugi, rolling them over toward the rest of the team. Right at the very same time, however, Atem felt a stab of pain in his right ankle, and his cloak became a little tighter. He weakly tried to move, but he found that he was held fast.

"Yeah!" Jonouchi cheered, "You did it!"

"Way to go you guys!" Anzu said smiling, and she hugged Yugi as he sat up, a little dizzy from the spinning.

"Are you all right Anzu?" Yugi asked.

"I am now, Yugi." Anzu said, "And so will Nimea and all the others, thanks to you and--"

"Atem?!" Mana said suddenly, seeing the Blind Prince float motionlessly by the oyster, "Atem, what's wrong?" All the others looked up and became worried. By the way he held his head, he looked as though he was feeling faint and ill. Finally, though, he lifted his head up.

"What the hell just happened?" he said, "I'm stuck! I can't move an inch!"

"Oh no!" Mai gasped.

"Atem!" Yugi shouted in alarm. Shield, who had hidden her head in horror of the gushing water, now peered through the cloudy, bloody water. All at once, she rushed toward her trapped friend, just as the sand settled down.

"Aaah! By the gods of the desert!" she panicked. When she finally got close enough, she let out a sigh of relief.

"What is it Shield?" Honda asked worriedly.

"It's all right everyone!" Shield said, "It's not as bad as I feared. Atem, I thought your whole foot was caught, but as it turns out, that rush of water has saved you from suffering the same fate as Dartz!"

"Well, what do you see?" Atem asked.

"Your ankle has been cut; it's bleeding along with your battle wounds even as I speak. But thankfully, it's only the hem of your cloak that keeps you a prisoner."

"Thank God!" Seth said, and the others sighed in relief.

"Okay Atem, don't move." Shield instructed, "I'm going to bite through it, that is if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Atem said, "Thank you." As the sea turtle snipped off and spat out bits of cloth, Yugi swam forward.

"Here's the Siren's Pearl Atem." he said, handing the prize over to his elder twin brother.

"Thank you Yugi." Atem replied. It was at this moment, he felt something cold and slimy slither against his arm and the hand that now held the Pearl. He would have thought that it was a sea snake, had it not been for a familiar voice that spoke to him.

"Hello again Yugi!" Ryou said, "In all my life, I would never have guessed that you and your twin brother are both princes! I feel honored to have been able to help you. And Atem, by succeeding where everyone else has failed, you've actually inspired me! Anyway, I'd best be going. I can only hope that we'll meet again soon! Tootles!" and with that, the red eel swam away, and was gone in a flash by the time Mahaad swam over to help Shield.

"Ptooey!" Shield said as she spat out one more piece of cloth, "Oh Mahaad, how nice of you! I was going to ask for some assistance."

"Glad I can help. I'll take it from here." Mahaad replied, and he used the dagger he borrowed from Seth to cut the last bit of cloth. "All right Atem, you're free. Now let's get you healed up before we leave. You do the honors Seth."

"Gladly." replied Seth, and immediately cast a healing spell on his cousin. The others stared at the oyster as the High Priest did his work.

"He's not going to come back out, is he?" Anzu asked in concern.

"It's highly unlikely." Mahaad replied. "I don't think the oyster would even want to free him. Besides, it would be another five hundred years before another Siren's Pearl replaces the one we took out, and by the time that happens, Dartz would already be dead. So basically, the Delta kingdom has seen the last of him." Finally, Seth was finished, and Atem stood before his friends, with no sign of a single scar to show that he had been injured.

"All right everyone." Atem said, "Now that we got the Siren's Pearl, let's head back to the surface."

"In that case, I'll stay here and wait for you." Otogi said. "And before you leave Atem… I must admit it. I was surprised when I discovered that you're a prince!"

"Hey, we know just how you feel when it comes to surprises." Jonouchi said with a grin. "We'll see you again in your true form!" The three-headed swordfish nodded. And so Atem took hold of Shield's shell and all the others, including Mahaad, followed him out of the cave, and through the cold green water. Then they all swam upward, through the forest of giant seaweed until the water grew warmer—with the blessed sunlight of the surface.

* * *

Back at the surface, Kisara and Shizuka were waiting anxiously with the royal ferryman in their boat. "It's been five days since they left!" Shizuka said, weaving her newest basket. "I hope nothing bad has happened! I'm so worried!"

"I'm just as worried as you are Shizuka." said Kisara, "But for their sake, we mustn't give up hope." Shizuka gave no reply, so the peasant girl went back to looking at the water. Suddenly, someone rose up and broke the surface of the water. Kisara shrieked in surprise, since the first ones to come up was right in her face! Shizuka looked up from her basket weaving, and her worry vanished and became utter joy.

"Atem! Yugi! Shield! It's you!" she said. It wasn't long before the rest of the team rose up, and Jonouchi grinned.

"What up Sis?" Jonouchi greeted, "Did you miss us?"

"Jonouchi! You're all right!" Shizuka said joyfully, "And so is everyone else! For a moment, I thought we lost you forever!"

"You don't need to worry anymore Hon," Mai said.

"That's right, we're back!" Honda said.

"Seth! You're safe! Thank the gods of the desert you're safe!" Kisara said, taking hold of the High Priest's hands. Tears of joy were streaming down her eyes, and Seth smiled.

"I told you somebody's going to get the Siren's Pearl!" Seth said.

It was at that moment that Atem lifted up said Pearl for all to see and added, "And that 'someone' is us! Right Yugi?"

"Right!" Yugi replied with a wink. "Let's get back to shore, shall we?" As Jonouchi, Mai, and Seth got on board to join Shizuka and Kisara, the two girls stared in wonder and the newly recovered Siren's Pearl… and so did the astonished ferryman!

Note: This story's not over yet! In the next chapter, the heroes have a time of rest. Then they all have an audience with Pharaoh Setna-- and Pharaoh Akunumkanon! What else happens? You just have to find out! Until next time!


	22. Chapter 22

Note: All right! Another chapter finished! Now very soon, you'll get to learn of Shield's true identity! Enjoy!

Chapter 22: Atem's Wish

At the palace, Pharaoh Setna was lying on his bed. As he had done five days before, he had doused himself with a jug of water, and it's not just because the day was hot. "The days just get worse and worse." he groaned mournfully.

"Long life and health to you, Your Majesty, I know exactly what you're going through." said Siamun, "Ever since Princess Anzu went off with that Blind Prince and his companions, I too have been worried sick!"

"That's not all." Setna said, "Have you looked outside lately?"

"A-as much as I hate to admit it," Siamun replied with a gulp, looking out the nearby window, "yes, I have." Both of them could hear the sorrowful cries and the angry shouts of the crowd below. Most of the crowd consisted of peasants and nobles whose loved ones were among those who went after the Siren's Pearl and failed. Upon hearing that the youngest daughter of Pharaoh Setna had joined a blind prince on this very same quest, they gathered at the palace, wailing and pulling at their hair as if they were mourners in a funeral. Some, however, happened to be angry fishermen who were sick and tired of the regulations that prevented them from making their living. They had come to the palace to force Pharaoh Setna to remove the law so they can fish in the sea and river again. In other words, they were losing their patience.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, today is the day Pharaoh Akunumkanon arrives in this kingdom!" Setna lamented, "How is he going to react when he finds out that his twin sons are trapped in the Great Sargasso Sea along with my daughters?! Oh, I should never have agreed to let them all go!"

"Look!" someone suddenly called out, "A messenger dove!" and all at once, everyone in the crowd grew silent as a little light gray dove flew over their heads and went into the palace window. Setna was just as astonished when he saw it, and it dropped a small papyrus scroll into his hand. His eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at this scroll.

"Siamun," Setna finally said, "This letter! It's from Princess Anzu!"

"Princess Anzu?!" Siamun said as the Pharaoh opened up the scroll and started reading. "You mean the travelers are all safe?!"

At first, Setna gave no reply, as he was busy reading in every detail of his daughter's letter. But then, he lowered the scroll. He could hardly believe what he had just read. "They're more than safe, Siamun…" Setna gasped, "Prince Atem… he's…he's done it!" and soon a smile slowly crept upon his face. "Together with his companions, he's got the Siren's Pearl…! Tell everyone at once! They **must** know the good news!"

"Yes Sir!" Siamun replied enthusiastically. And he ran toward the window to do just that.

* * *

Prince Atem, his twin brother Yugi, Shield the sea turtle and everyone else had made it safely to the shore of the Delta, taking a well-deserved rest on the beach. "Has it really been **five days**?" Honda said, panting. "I find this hard to believe…"

Jonouchi sat up, and looked at Mai. "Just think Mai," he said, "Once we get to the palace, you're going to be back to your normal self again!"

"Yeah, it's about time!" Mai said, "I'm tired of this sea lion body! And not only that, I'm eager to get back to taming lions."

"You're not the only one." Jonouchi said, "I've decided to join your troupe and work with lions too."

"Really?" Mai said.

"Yep. You've inspired me to do it, Mai. And once you're human again, I can't wait to kiss you again."

"Me neither." Mai said happily.

In another part of the beach, Seth had explained his adventure in every single detail to Kisara. "That was amazing, Seth! I could never imagine doing all the things that you did down there!"

"It sure wasn't easy." Seth said, "But I was determined to help my cousin save everyone. Now you have nothing to worry about."

Kisara hugged the High Priest tightly, a smile on her face and tears of joy in her eyes. "Thank you." Seth happily returned the hug, taking in the warmth and love. Nearby, Prince Yugi watched the sweet scene before him.

"Yugi!" Anzu said.

"Oh! Hello Anzu." Yugi said as she sat by him.

"Can you believe it?" Anzu said, "Thanks to you and Atem, I can finally see my sister again!"

Yugi's smile faded into a look of disappointment. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you from those giant sea snakes. If it weren't for Dartz knocking me down, I would have shown those beasts whose boss!"

"Don't be sorry." Anzu said, "You may not have been able to help me destroy Dartz's sea snakes directly, but you helped me in more ways than one. You protected me from the attacks Mahaad made when he was brainwashed, and stopped the oyster from crashing down on me. Most of all, you helped me by helping your older brother, and you gave me the courage I needed to stand up to the sea snakes, even when you were down." She shifted closer to the younger prince, blushing. "Yugi, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Whenever I travel to unknown territory, exploration wasn't my only goal. You see I have always hoped that I would find my true love somewhere in my travels. When I visited your kingdom, it turns out that… I have finally found him. Remember that confession you made two weeks ago in the palace?"

"Y-yeah." said a blushing Yugi, his heart somehow in anticipation.

"Well, here's my answer." Anzu said, and she leaned over and kissed him in the lips. Once they parted, the Dancing Explorer smiled. "Yugi, I love you too. Of all men, you're the one that I was looking for!"

Yugi's eyes widened in amazement, and before he knew it, he was smiling. "Do you really mean it?" he asked.

"Every word of it." Anzu replied. To Yugi, this was the happiest moment of his very life, and his heart was dancing like never before. Once again, the two lovers took part in a sweet and passionate kiss.

Meanwhile, not so far away, Atem was leaning on a small rock with Shield and Mana by his side. All this time, he held the Siren's Pearl in his hand. Though he could not see how brightly it shone, he could feel its wonderful smoothness and, through his supernatural senses, its brilliant white color. "Would you believe it Shield?" Atem said to his sea turtle friend, "We've been down in that cave for five days, and yet, I feel as though we've been down there for much longer than that."

"In my case, I really **have** been there for much longer than five days." A familiar voice called out. That was when Atem sensed Dark Magician's approach through his echolocation. Mana and Shield heard him too, and they looked up to face him.

"Mahaad…" Shield said, shuffling herself into a more comfortable position.

"Atem, I was forced to spend months in that forsaken cave, in a prison made for my mind." Mahaad said, "Had it not been for your bravery, and for the bravery of Yugi and Mana as well, I would have remained a slave down there for the rest of my life. My thanks to you for setting me free!"

"It was my pleasure, Mahaad." Atem said.

Mana let out a sigh and laid back. "That was one exciting adventure! Too bad I won't be able to experience anything as exciting as this again. Once everyone's back to normal, I'll be back to my boring everyday job as the royal kitchen maid."

"Actually, Mana," Mahaad said, "You won't have to go back."

"W-what?" Mana said in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"You hold the potential of becoming a great magician like myself. Your first spell was proof of that." Mahaad explained, "So I have an offer for you: How would you like to become my apprentice in the Arts of Magic? There's going to be some chores for you to do in the beginning, but I assure you, it's guaranteed to be much more exiting than serving as a kitchen maid."

"Me? A magician?!" Mana gasped, and soon her joy knew no boundaries, "This is awesome! Oh please, teach me the ways of the powerful magician, Master! I'll make you proud!"

Mahaad chuckled happily. "I'm glad I get to be called 'Master' for once! I take it you accept my proposal, right?"

"Mm-Hmm!" Mana said, nodding.

"Very well then," Mahaad said, "We'll start plans on your first lesson as soon as we get permission from Pharaoh Setna."

"Thank you sooo much!" Mana cried happily. "I can hardly wait to tell Anzu!"

"I already know! I overheard your conversation!" Anzu said, walking hand in hand with Yugi. She gave her friend a wink. "You have my permission, that's for sure!"

"Hello Mahaad." Yugi greeted, "I suppose you've noticed that the Dancing Explorer has just become my girlfriend."

"Well, it's about time Yugi!" Atem said, "I thought you would never tell her your feelings!"

"Atem!" Yugi shouted, blushing furiously. This in turn earned a giggle from Anzu.

"By the way Mahaad," Atem said, "now that you're a free man, what do you plan on doing after everyone is restored? That is, aside from training Mana in the magical arts."

"After being forced to serve Dartz, I will follow my heart and do whatever I will choose on my own free will." Mahaad said and then he bent down on one knee and bowed in front of Atem. "And I choose to serve you, Prince Atem." Mahaad said, "You, and your twin brother Yugi."

Those words took everyone by surprise, especially the twin princes. "M-Mahaad?" Atem gasped, "You… You want to serve… **me**?"

"Why would I not want make this life-changing decision, Your Highness? I am completely in your debt. Please, let me return the favor by becoming one of your royal priests. In this way, I will serve as your guardian along with Seth, the High Priest, and protect you and Yugi from whatever harm comes your way."

"Mahaad…" Yugi said, "I-I don't know what to say! Thank you!"

"Yes, thank you Mahaad!" Atem said, "I would be honored to have you as one of our priests!"

"W-wait!" Mana said, "If Master Mahaad is going to be your priest, then that means… All right! I get to see you more often!"

As Mana was cheering, Atem turned his face in the direction of the sea turtle. "Shield, as soon as you and the others are ready, I would like for us to meet up with Pharaoh Setna so I can make my wish in his presence."

Shield crawled over to her friend. "Are you sure you don't want to wait a day or two to do that? Your body still seemed very sore after that battle."

"Don't worry, I feel much better now."

"Okay, but listen to me carefully." Shield said, "You can only make one wish on that Pearl."

"I know." Atem replied.

"Twelve silos of grain and half the Delta was more than enough to satisfy Otogi, Mai, or even Ryou." Shield said, "But, just like you told me before, that's what you don't need. So why not use the Siren's Pearl to break the curse that has tormented you for all these years?"

"Shield?!" Atem gasped, "You mean to say that the Siren's Pearl is the key to lifting away the mists of my blindness?!"

"Of course!" Shield replied, "You want to be able to see, right? So why not wish for such a pair of eyes?" The sea turtle bowed her head down as if in shame. "Why bother trying to save a foolish princess after she and many others have caused so much trouble?"

"Don't say that!" Atem shouted, "Nimea is anything but foolish! Have you forgotten what I have said before? She chose to go after the Siren's Pearl so she can rescue people like you!" Shield looked up and started blushing, which would have been strange had anyone noticed. "It's true that I want to be able to see, and rid myself of my shame once and for all, but no matter how tempting it is to use that Siren's Pearl for that purpose, I will not make that wish. Nimea will not use the Pearl's power for herself, and neither will I."

"You truly are a selfless individual Atem." Shield said, blushing more furiously.

Atem stood up and went over to where the rest of his friends are. "Are you guys ready to go to the palace?"

"Ready when you are!" Jonouchi said.

"All right then, let's go!" Atem said, tugging on the string that was attached to Shield, "Since I can use the Siren's Pearl only once, I must be careful on how I word my wish properly. So don't mind if I'm silent on the way there. I need to think of the right words to say."

* * *

Back at the palace, Pharaoh Setna and Siamun were waiting impatiently with the crowd for the scheduled return of Prince Atem and his companions. The sorrow and rage of the crowd had now become anticipation, and hope, for at long last they had heard the news of success. Just then, trumpets blared and a herald announced, "Presenting, the king of the Desert realm, Pharaoh Akunumkanon!" Soon after, a litter carried by four men came by the entrance of the courtyard. Seated in that chair was Pharaoh Akunumkanon, and many people in the crowd fell to their knees and bowed in respect. As soon as the men stopped he got off and rushed toward Setna.

"Welcome to the Delta, Akunumkanon." Setna greeted as politely as he could. "I am Pharaoh Setna."

"Long life and health to you, Setna!" Akunumkanon likewise greeted, if rather frantically, "I came as soon as I could! Where's Atem? And Yugi? Are my boys all right?!"

"It's the Dancing Explorer and her companions!" a fisherman shouted in excitement, "They're here!" The whole crowd cheered wildly, causing the two Pharaohs to turn around and look. Just at that moment, the entire team made their entrance, led by Atem, Yugi, and of course, Anzu.

"Atem! Yugi!" Akunumkanon cried, running toward his sons, "Thank the gods of the desert you're safe!"

"Father!" Atem said, as he and Yugi happily gave their father a hug.

"We missed you so much!" Yugi said.

One they parted from the hug, Akunumkanon said, "I was so worried about you when I received the summons! What has happened to you? If either of you got hurt, or killed, I would never forgive myself!"

"Oh, nothing's wrong Father." Yugi said.

"That's right," Atem added, "We just finished taking part in our most daring adventure yet! And this young man over here," --he gestured to Mahaad-- "is our witness." Mahaad stepped up and bowed to the Desert Pharaoh.

"Long life and health to you Pharaoh Akunumkanon." Mahaad said, "I am Mahaad, and I have aided your sons in this venture using my magic. I wish to join the royal priesthood so I can serve them as their guardian."

"I see." Akunumkanon replied, "Well, since you helped my sons, I shall grant your wish. We will induct you as soon as we get to the Desert kingdom."

"Thank you Your Majesty." Mahaad said humbly. After this Akunumkanon looked over and saw Anzu.

"Ah Anzu!" he said, "It's so good to see you again!"

"Uh, Father?" Yugi said, "That's **Princess** Anzu!"

"Princess?" Akunumkanon said in astonishment.

"That's right sir." Anzu confessed with a small smile, "I never told you this before, but Pharaoh Setna is my father. And I also have a twin, an older sister in fact."

"All right everyone, enough talk!" Setna said, "Atem, do you have the Siren's Pearl?"

"Of course." Atem said, opening his leather pouch. There was a secret smile on his lips as he put his hand inside the bag. And slowly, he drew out the Siren's Pearl for all to see. As big as a goose's egg it was—and it was glowing like a miniature full moon. The crowd gasped out "Ooo!" and " Ahh!" in wonder of the sight, and Setna's eyes were shining.

"So this is the Siren's Pearl!" he gasped in awe, "I never imagined that I would be able to see something like this!"

"Neither did I" Akunumkanon admitted, "But are you sure it's for real?"

"There's no doubt about it!" Siamun said, "This is the real thing!"

"And now, Your Majesty," Atem said, "I shall make my wish, to finish what the Daring Huntress has started." He held the Siren's Pearl close to him, closed his milky-veiled eyes, and started speaking, slowly and thoughtfully. "_**Pearl of the Sirens, hear my call**_." At once the Pearl's glow became even brighter than before. "_**Behold all of these treasure hunters! They have been captured by the wicked nomarch Dartz, and he has transformed them into creatures of the sea. Among those unfortunate souls is a princess who, ironically, sought you out to save them.**_" He opened his milky-veiled eyes and raised the Siren's Pearl high. "_**So hear my wish, Pearl of the Sirens! Bring back all of the victims of Dartz, undo the damage he has done, and restore upon them their true forms once more**_!" Before anyone else could respond, the Siren's Pearl loudly exploded in a dazzling flash of light. Everyone in the courtyard had to cover their eyes, for it was so bright. When the light finally died down, the whole crowd gasped in amazement. The fish that was kept in the jug, the same fish whose appearance brought about that regulation law, started to glow, and immediately he jumped out, and changed into an old man dressed in the clothes of a peasant farmer. Kisara's eyes grew misty with joyful tears, recognizing the old man at once.

"Papa! Oh Papa!" she cried, and she ran over and glomped her father. He returned the hug, happy to see his daughter again. Meanwhile, feeling the glow herself, Mai tried to stand on her hind flippers. Twice she tumbled over on her back. But on the third try, the flippers shrank into feet—and there stood Mai, back in her true body, that of a beautiful human woman! Her outfit looked ready to fall apart, but by some kind of miracle, it managed to stay in place.

"Jonouchi!" Mai said happily as she looked at herself, "Look at me! I'm human again!"

"Aw yeah!" cheered Jonouchi, "Now that's the Mai I know and love!"

"You know, I've always wanted to do this!" Mai said, and she hugged Jonouchi cutely and said, "MY HERO!!" And the two of them gave each other a passionate kiss on the lips.

Atem stood there, listening to the happy sounds around him. His hands felt hot and empty, but there were no burns at all. The Blind Prince smiled. "Well, I guess it's safe to say that it worked, right Shield?" There was no reply. "Shield?" Atem said again in confusion. Again, no reply. "Shield?! T-this isn't funny! Please! Answer me!" Atem tugged on the string, but he found that there was nothing on the other side. His hands started to shake, then his whole body, and his heart starting beating faster. His milky-veiled eyes widened, and he started to hyperventilate. At first, he didn't understand what was happening to him. But then, as he recalled every other emotion he had felt before, it suddenly became clear. A brand new emotion had made its way into his heart…Fear! For the first time in his entire life, Atem was actually terrified! "Oh no, Oh no! Oh—SHIELD!!" Forgetting that he has his supernatural senses to help him, he dropped on his hands and knees, his fingers searching frantically for his lost friend. "Shield! SHIELD!! Where are you?! Please don't leave me alone like this!" By now, he had burst into a river of tears. His companions were shocked, but not as shocked as Yugi. In all his life, he had never seen his elder twin act this way before!

"Atem!" called a beautiful feminine voice.

Atem was astonished at the sound. "…Shield? I-is that you? W-what happened to your voice?" he stuttered, and using his fingers to guide him, he followed the voice to its source. But where he expected to find the flipper of a sea turtle, he instead felt a slender human hand. For a moment, he paused. He could hear the gasp of his friends in the background, but why? Slowly, his fingers explored this new surface. The hand underneath lifted up from the ground. And his hand slowly climbed up the wrist, then the arm, he felt another hand take hold of his other hand. It too took on the exploration, feeling the soft skin as climbed up the other slender arm. _That's right!_ Atem thought as both of his hands reached feminine shoulders, _Shield isn't really a sea turtle! But who is that woman before me?_ He moved one of his hands again, lightly feeling the chest just above where the breasts are. Then he went up to her neck, and then to her lovely face. Feeling every detail of that face, Atem realized that this young woman before him looked like an intense version of Anzu! When he touched the smooth cheek, once again, he felt a hand touch his. It stayed in place as he went on to touch locks of bright red braided hair. Only then did he remember his echolocation, and he put it to use at once. For some reason, he found himself enchanted with this woman. And it became clear that whoever she is, she feels the same way about him. "Who… are you?" he asked the maiden.

The woman gave a small chuckle. "I figured you wouldn't recognize me. After all, this is the first time you sensed me my true form."

Suddenly, Pharaoh Setna gave a shout of great joy. "Nimea! My darling Nimea, it's you!"

"What?!" Atem said suddenly alerted, "Nimea's here?! Where is she?"

"Atem, she's right in front of you!" Anzu gasped in joy, "Don't you get it? **Your** sea turtle is **my **twin sister!** She was with us all along**!"

Note: That's right ladies and gents! Shield is really Princess Nimea! But then again, some of you might have already figured it out. Anyway, we only have one more chapter left! Until Next time!


	23. Chapter 23

Note: At last, the moment you have been waiting for! I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed this wonderful story of mine, notably luckygirl777, JustJos16, and most of all Kelekiah Galadrian! Thank you so much! And now, the conclusion of "The Dark Magician's Trap"! Enjoy!

Chapter 23: The First Sight of Love

Atem's milky-veiled eyes widened in astonishment and for a moment his mouth hung open. He could not believe what he had just heard! To think that all this time, Shield the sea turtle was really… "You…?" Atem finally gasped at the woman in front of him, "Y-y-you mean—**You're** Princess Nimea?!"

Again Nimea chuckled sweetly. "That's right." she said, "I am Princess Nimea, firstborn daughter of Pharaoh Setna."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Atem asked in a soft tone.

"You didn't ask." Nimea replied, "So I guess that means we're even."

"Oh, Nimea!" Atem said.

"What's wrong Atem?" Nimea asked in concern, "You're shaking."

"I never thought that I would actually say this in my entire life!" Atem said, "I almost forgot that you weren't really a sea turtle, so when I made my wish on the Siren's Pearl and you went through the process of returning to your true form, I…" Once again the tears began to flow. "I was so scared! So scared and alone! Nimea, I thought I lost you!"

Nimea smiled, and she took Atem's hand in both of hers. Then as they both stood up, Nimea said to him, "Atem, you have no need to be lonely or afraid. No matter what form I take, I shall never leave you! When Anzu and I came of age, We began our lives of adventure. I became the bold princess you now call 'The Daring Huntress', while Anzu gained the title of 'The Dancing Explorer'. On that day, I promised myself that I would not settle down until I find a man who has a noble heart and is just as daring as myself!" Nimea lifted one hand to wipe away the remaining tears. "When I first saw you as Shield the sea turtle, my heart started dancing like never before. Something in my heart told me that you're the one, the one that I was looking for! And it was right! By risking your life to save me and the treasure hunters, you proved to me that **you** have the courage, that **you** have the determination, and that **you** have the noble heart that is the perfect match to my boldness!" Soon, her own tears of joy started to flow. "My heart knew it, even before I did… and that's why when I first saw you, I had fallen in love with you. It's true, Atem. I love you. And I want you to have me as your wife."

"Nimea, I…" Atem said, "I love you too. But I'm blind! Are you sure you want to have a blind man like me for a husband?"

"Atem, I don't care if you're blind or not." Nimea said, and then she put her hand upon his heart. "You have the heart of a true hero, and I love you for the man that lies within that heart."

"Well, go on Atem!" Yugi said with a mischievous smirk, "Kiss her already!" This made Atem blush furiously.

"Yugi, way to ruin the moment!" Atem shouted.

"And that's for teasing me about Anzu!" Yugi said back, earning giggles from Jonouchi and Honda.

"Why you little--" Atem said shaking a fist.

"Oh, Anzu! You finally found your future husband!" Nimea said, referring to Yugi.

"Nimea!!" Anzu said, her cheeks turning a bright pink color. Seth simply shook his head at the sight. Just then Kisara came by with her father.

"Papa, this is Seth, the High Priest of the Desert Kingdom's royal family." Kisara introduced.

"Ah, so you're the one among those who saved me!" the peasant farmer said.

"Pleased you meet you Sir." Seth replied, shaking the farmer's hand.

"The honor is mine." Said the farmer. "How could I ever repay you for the brave deeds you have done?"

"Well, to be honest," Seth said, "I ask for nothing in return."

"I see," the farmer said, "Well then let me ask you this: What do you feel about my daughter?" The question took the High Priest by surprise, and he blushed when he looked at Kisara. Kisara blushed likewise. "It's all right, you can be honest with me." reassured the farmer.

"Well, I… I…" Seth stuttered, not knowing what to say. Upon seeing this, the farmer turned to his daughter.

"Kisara," he said, "What do you feel about Seth?" Kisara let out a small gasp, looked at her father and then back at Seth.

"Papa," she finally said, "Seth… he means the world to me. He gave me comfort when I got worried about you, Papa, and he chased away all the fears that I ever had. To put in simple terms… I love him."

Seth stared in amazement before he took the peasant girl's hand. "Kisara! Th-that's what I was going to say about you!"

"Really?!" Kisara said.

"Yes!" Seth said, "I love you, Kisara!"

The peasant farmer let out a hearty laugh. "In that case Seth," he said, "you can have Kisara's hand in marriage!"

"Huh?!" Seth said in astonishment, "Me? Marry Kisara? Are you sure you'll let me do that?"

"Do you really mean it Papa?" Kisara said, her eyes sparkling, "Can I really marry Seth?"

"Ha ha, ha, why of course!" said the farmer, "With his status as High Priest, you're guaranteed to live a better life than that of a peasant! And besides, if this isn't true love, I don't know what is! So what do you think Seth?"

"Why, I would be honored to marry your daughter!" Seth said happily.

"Oh thank you Papa, thank you!" Kisara said, hugging her proud father before she and Seth embraced each other and gave a passionate kiss.

Suddenly the scenes were interrupted by the sound of cheering by the river. "Fish!" someone called out, "Strange fish have made it to shore!" All at once, fishermen spilled into the courtyard. In their nets, flapping miserably were tons of strange sea creatures. And among them were… a swordfish with three heads… and a red eel!

"It's the other treasure hunters!" Nimea said in astonishment, "The same ones **I've** tried to save!" Soon all of those fish fell out of the nets and they too started glowing. One by one, each sea creature returned to their true form, that of human beings. The courtyard was filled with the joyous sound of families reunited with loved ones, and they embraced each other crying tears of joy and shouting praises to their gods. Finally, only two sea creatures remained. The three heads of the swordfish that was Otogi merged together and vanished and in their place was the single head of a young man. And right before the astonished crowd Otogi gave one last jerk and changed back to his human shape. His bronze scale mail breastplate had become green with rust, and the blades on his shield no longer spun in the wind, having been destroyed in his fight with the brainwashed Mahaad.

"Otogi!" Atem said, detecting the soldier with his echolocation, "Welcome back!"

Otogi looked over at Atem and smiled. "Thank you so much for saving me Prince Atem! No doubt you deserve the Daring Huntress more than I do! I salute you!"

Now only the eel Ryou was left, wriggling alone on the ground. In his excitement, he twisted himself into a knot. Everyone sweatdropped. "He sure looks like he's having a good time." Shizuka said as she watched him untie himself. But finally, Ryou too changed back to his rightful human form. The tomb robber's clothes were full of holes, and he had lost his crown, much to the general's dismay. A fringe of seaweed hung from the top of his red robe, and from its sleeves. When he looked up at the two Pharaohs, everyone noticed that his cheeks were swollen!

"Gah!" Honda said, his eyes widening in shock, "Jonouchi look! Does he have **mumps**?!"

"Ugh!! He better not have caught some contagious disease!" Mai shrieked, waving her hands and backing away, "Get him away from me!" The fishermen also backed away from him, as suddenly, he gave a muffled chuckle. Ryou then put his hand in his mouth and very carefully he took something out of it. He gave a satisfied smirked and a wink as he held up the object for all to see. Everyone gasped in wonder.

"I don't believe it!" Mahaad said.

"Can this be?" Yugi gasped, "**Another** Siren's Pearl?!" Indeed it was, as big as a goose's egg, and glowing like a miniature full moon.

"Bingo!" Ryou said proudly. "You observe well Prince Yugi!"

"So the second Siren's Pearl really does exist!" Nimea said, "I had planned to find that pearl and use **it** to give Anzu a trip to the moon and back after I save the treasure hunters!"

"Really?!" Anzu said to her sister, "Why that's so sweet of you!"

"Long life and health to you, Your Majesties!" Ryou said to Akunumkanon and Setna, "Allow me to explain. Ever since the terrible day Dartz changed me into an eel, I was beginning to despair. Yet deep inside, I wanted to get another chance to take a Siren's Pearl from a giant oyster." He looked at Atem and his friends, "When this brave blind prince and his stalwart companions succeeded where everyone else had failed, I was filled with hope and encouragement! I remembered Dartz talking about a second Siren'' Pearl that has yet to be located, so as soon as that nomarch was defeated, I left the cave in search of the oyster that held it. And what do you know? I actually found that oyster!"

"I can see that." Yugi said, "You got the proof!"

"But how did you get it?" Atem asked.

"I noticed how this particular oyster was used to the presence of fish," Ryou explained, "So it ignored me as I got close to it. I remember clearly that you, Yugi, put something in between the shells of the oyster in the cave so it won't shut. I thought to myself, 'why couldn't I do the same with this one?' so I looked for a stone, and when I found it I carried it in my mouth and slipped it on the edge of the oyster's bottom shell, close to the hinge in fact. It worked! No matter how hard it tried, it could not close its shell, so I was easily able to slip inside and grab the Pearl. Slippery as an eel, and I even looked the part, and I still managed to perform the greatest heist in the history of my career! I removed the stone once I got it of course." Ryou hung his head. "Still, I couldn't make a wish until I could get back to shore, which would be next to impossible if you're an eel. Despair once again filled my heart. It seemed that I would die in the sea after all." But then he looked up at Atem and smiled. "But today, because of you Atem, I was saved! I don't know what to do to thank you!" But then the tomb robber looked at the Siren's Pearl and stopped. "Wait!" he said, a secret smile appearing on his face, "I take it back. There **is** something I can do!" Ryou closed his eyes and held the Siren's Pearl in front of him. "_**Pearl of the Sirens, hear my call.**_" And once again the Pearl's glow became brighter and brighter. "_**Behold this prince, a great hero among heroes! With the help of his friends, he risked his own life to save us all from a terrible fate! Yet there is one thing that ails him: from the moment he was born, he was cursed with a thick black sheet of darkness that has kept him from seeing the world, its beautiful colors and its fantastic shapes. For so many years, it has brought shame to his otherwise noble heart.**_" Atem's milky-veiled eyes widened as Ryou opened his and lifted the Siren's Pearl upward. "_**So hear my wish, Pearl of the Sirens: break the curse that has tormented him for so long! Lift away the mists of blindness, and bestow upon him a pair of perfect eyes!**_" Once again, the Siren's Pearl loudly exploded in a dazzling flash of light, only this time, two rays of light shot out and struck Prince Atem right in the eyes! He let out a shout of pain as he covered his eyes with his hands and staggered.

"Atem!" Nimea shouted in worry, and she ran to him and held him in front of her. "Atem are you all right?" For a moment Atem gave no reply, and his body shook. Then slowly, he uncovered his still-closed eyes. They squinted at first, but then they became more relaxed; the pain had vanished as quickly as it came. The sound of his own breathing echoed in the courtyard. "Atem?" Nimea said. For what felt like the longest time, he stood still. Then, slowly but surely, Atem opened his eyes. An excited smile began to appear on Nimea's face when she looked into the prince's eyes. From a short distance, Jonouchi and Honda let out a gasp of surprise, as did Seth, and Yugi. And no wonder: The milky white veil that covered Atem's eyes was gone! Gray pupils had become a brilliant black, the crimson irises bright and vibrant, and they were shining! But that's not the only change that was occurring. The moment Atem opened his eyes, colors began to break the darkness he knew so long and dance in front of him. He was astonished! All his life, he had felt colors, but he had never **seen** colors before, or anything else for that matter!

"Nimea!" he said, "What's happening?"

"Atem!" Nimea said joyfully, "Your eyes!" At this very moment, the colors in front of him began to gather together. Shapes began to form. At first, everything was blurry. But slowly, the image became more and more clear. Finally, when his new vision was fully clear, Atem bore witness to the very first sight of his life: The beautiful face of the Daring Huntress, Princess Nimea. Atem's eyes widened in amazement. He squeezed them shut, then opened them again, unable to believe that he wasn't dreaming. But it was no dream; the Blind Prince was blind no more.

"Nimea?" Atem asked reaching out to touch her face. That was when he saw his own hand. Before long, he was looking at both hands, then at his body all with wonder. Then he looked back at the Daring Huntress.

"Oh Atem! Look at your eyes! The milky white veil that covered them is gone!" Nimea said. Then she took out a strange object and put the handle in the prince's hand. She directed that hand until the reflective surface was right in front of his face. At first, Atem was confused.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's a mirror." Nimea replied, "People use this to look at their own faces. This is how they look at themselves." Atem once again looked at the image in the reflective surface of the mirror.

"So the man… staring back at me…" Atem said, "That's me?"

"Yes." Nimea replied. Atem stared long at his reflection, and he watched it as he touched his hair. Then he slowly looked up, and was filled with wonder as his now lively eyes scanned his friends and family for the first time in his life.

"Yugi?" Atem said, and his twin brother let out a small gasp of joy, his eyes misting with happy tears ready to flow any minute. "Seth?" Seth's eyes widened at the sight of his cousin's eyes, and he gave a silent prayer of thanks. "Anzu?" The Dancing Explorer began to cry out of joy for him. "Jonouchi? Honda?" Jonouchi and Honda stared at Atem, their mouths wide open in amazement. Atem now looked over to the Dark Magician and his new apprentice. "Mahaad? Mana?"

"Oh by the gods of the desert!" Mana gasped, ready to cry tears of joy herself. Atem looked around and saw even more friends: Shizuka, Kisara, Mai, Otogi, and of course, Ryou.

"Blessed Mother!" Akunumkanon said, gaining the attention of his firstborn son. Atem turned. For the longest time, he stared at his father, slowly walking towards him. Pharaoh Akunumkanon lifted his hands and gently cradled Atem's head to look at his eyes, no longer obscured by swirls of white. The tears of joy were flowing from the old man's eyes by the time he let go. Atem blinked once.

"Father…" he said and before long, he started to smile. "I can **see** you…!" He spun around and looked at his friends again. "I can see all of you! Everything! I'm not blind anymore! I can **see**!"

"Atem! Oh Atem!" Yugi cried and ran up and hugged his elder brother. He sobbed, but it was because he was overwhelmed with happiness. Atem gladly returned the hug, his own happiness a match to that of Yugi's. "This is the happiest day of my life!" Yugi said, "You can see me! **You can see me**!"

Atem looked up from his embrace. "I wonder…" he let go of his brother, and then ran over to the outside of the palace. Atem let out a gasp. Mud brick buildings the color of the desert sand dotted the banks of the gorgeous river that flowed between them. Palm trees swayed in the breeze and where the river spilled away, the waves of the ocean crashed and receded against the white beach. And in the sky, there were shades of violet, red, pink, orange, and gold as the sun was starting to sink into the horizon. At that moment, Nimea stepped by the prince.

"This is my kingdom Atem," she said, "it's just a small part of the world which we live in. What do you think of it?"

"It's beautiful!" Atem said, shedding his own tears of joy, "It's more beautiful than I ever imagined!" Then he turned toward Nimea, and slowly took her into his embrace. "But you know what? All of this does not compare… to the **radiance** that I can now see in your eyes. I finally understand… what it means to fall in love at first sight. Because when I saw you, my love for you has become even stronger than it ever has before!"

A blushing Nimea shed tears of joy, as her heart danced, and she came closer to her beloved. "Even with your new eyes, my love for you remains strong." She said in a hushed tone, "Please Atem, let me say it again. I beg you… to have me as your wife!"

"Then say no more." Atem replied, "For in due time, it shall be done." And with that he and Nimea let their lips make contact in a kiss. It was a wonderful feeling. And it seemed the crowd agreed, for they were cheering for the happy lovers. Eventually they parted from the kiss in order to breathe.

"Hey Atem!" Jonouchi said, "What about the rest of the reward? You know, the twelve silos of grain and half the Delta?"

Atem smiled at his friend. "I don't want what I already have. But I don't want it to go to waste. So I'm going to divide the land into three, each one holding four silos of grain."

"Split it in three?" Honda asked in confusion.

"That's right." Atem said, "And on the day of my wedding with Nimea, I will give them away as a gift for three more special guests. The first piece of the reward… will belong to Otogi." Otogi gasped in astonishment as the Prince continued, "The second piece will belong to Mai and her troupe."

"Oh my God!" Mai gasped in astonishment.

"No way!" Jonouchi said, embracing his sweetheart, "This is awesome!"

"And the third piece," Atem concluded, "will belong to Ryou." Ryou stared in awe as the Prince smiled at him. "Consider it my reward for giving me my sight." he said to the soon to be ex-tomb robber, "May it help you get started in your new life as an honest man."

There were tears in Ryou's eyes as he fell to his knees and bowed low. "Oh, thank you, thank you!" Ryou gasped.

"It's to know that half of the Delta is in good hands now." Siamun sighed in relief, "But what about the other half of the kingdom?"

"I know just what to do with that." Setna said, "Yugi will become its next Pharaoh."

Yugi and Anzu looked at Pharaoh Setna in surprise as did Atem and Nimea. "What?" Yugi gasped, "Y-you want… me… to rule the Delta? But-but, I don't know if I'm fit to do such a thing!"

"Of course you are!" Setna said, "You were more than capable of protecting my youngest daughter from harm, and you spent more time here in this palace than anywhere else because of her. What makes you think you can't rule this land as king?"

"I agree with Setna." Akunumkanon said, "You've grown up so much since you left the kingdom of the Desert with your elder brother. Please accept Setna's gift."

"Father…" Yugi said, but then Anzu stepped up in front of him.

"Yugi, I believe in you." Anzu said, "If you have any difficulty, you always have me to help you. Become my Pharaoh Yugi. We'll rule the Delta together while Atem rules the Desert."

Yugi looked deep into her eyes, and all at once, his doubts vanished. He smiled. "If that is your wish Anzu," Yugi said, "Then I shall grant it! I'll do my best to watch over the Delta when the time comes! And you Anzu, will be by my side as my wife!" Anzu smiled as he turned to Atem saying, "Did you hear that Atem? I get to be a Pharaoh too!"

"I guess this means that in due time, a double wedding is in order!" Atem said.

"Long life and health to the Daring Huntress and the Dancing Explorer! Long life and health to our twin heroes, Atem and Yugi!" the crowd cheered. As they celebrated, Setna and Akunumkanon looked at each other. The two Pharaohs smiled, and they shook each other's hand in friendship.

* * *

The days passed by, then weeks, then months. With the help of Princess Nimea, Prince Atem adapted to his new sense of sight. He continued to train his supernatural senses as he had before and to his delight, instead of dwindling, they were enhanced with his arrival of his sight, especially in dark places.

A few days after returning to the Desert kingdom, Seth married Kisara, making her his beloved royal priestess. Meanwhile, Mahaad went though the induction ceremony and became a full-fledged priest. Mana's training started soon after, and she learned many new spells. On one point, Mana proved to be a source of great frustration for Mahaad, but on the whole, he was proud of her. And indeed, Mana enjoyed her new life as a future magician, and highly preferred it to the life of a kitchen maid. She wouldn't want it any other way.

A few months after all that, Jonouchi and Mai married and set up a new troupe of performers. The couple had become an instant sensation from the day of their very first performance together. It was during that time that Honda started dating the basket weaver Shizuka, much to Jonouchi's annoyance.

Almost a single year had passed, and the love Atem and Nimea felt for each other grew even stronger than before. The same is said for Yugi and Anzu. Finally, that special day came for both of them. The double wedding of the twins was the cause for great celebration for both kingdoms. And in the banquet that followed, The twin princes were given their greatest wedding gift from their father and their father-in-law: their coronations. Thus was fulfilled the dreams of the twins. Prince Atem and Prince Yugi had now become Pharaoh Atem (of the Desert), and Pharaoh Yugi (of the Delta). The two kingdoms had been strong allies ever since. Both of the new Pharaohs look forward to a long rule of peace and prosperity.

For the time being, Nimea was content to stay at her new home with Atem and help him rule his kingdom. Anzu was just as content staying at home, now that she had Yugi by her side. There's no doubt that both couples have a very happy ending.

Or rather, a happy ending that will lead to **another** exciting new beginning.

For of course, there's also no doubt that in the near future, the Daring Huntress and Dancing Explorer would rise to action again, this time with their beloved husbands by their side. And oh, what stories they will make together!

But until then, Nimea and Anzu are known by their new titles: For Nimea, it is "The Hearthkeeper"; and for Anzu, it is simply, "The Dancer".

The End

Note: There you have it! My work on this story is done! Again. thank you for reading "The Dark Magician's Trap"! Now it's time for me to work on "Blue Eyes White Mermaid", since I'm getting some ideas on how to fill in this annoying gap. And It's also time to write some new stories and post them in the future. Until next time!


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